Honestly Harry The Unplottable Discoveries
by Captain Compass
Summary: Picks up from the end of The Founder's Chambers. Where did they go and what happened to the new Potter family before they return to Hogwarts for their 3rd year? Rating for Molly's language & some sexual situations H/G/Hr escapades.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – Hello and Goodnight

"We're all getting in trouble for this, you know. We can stay here and face them now if you'd like."

'_**We go with you Harry from now on and we need to have time to ourselves for a bit to settle down from all the changes. We will face them together when we come back.'**_

Harry nodded at his bond mates and reached into his pocket again for two objects. Portkeys that he had taken from the Potter family vault. He was not surprised when the two girls both pointed to one of the choices. Harry pulled both girls into a big hug and then clasped their hands firmly. He squeezed the bit of polished stone and yelled out "Griffin's Lair". There was a gold flash and then the Chamber of Secrets was almost empty again.

A few seconds later the gold flash deposited the three Gryffindors on a flat surface somewhere in the dark. Portkeys being another form of magical transport, Harry landed exactly the same as normal and stumbled. He instinctively led go of the two hands he had been holding on to in order not to pull them down with him. It was an unfortunate choice. His body screamed out as he was separated from his bond mates. Hermione made a frantic dive after him as she experienced the pain herself. They had arrived in the dark so her judgment in reaching him was just a little off; her knee found his stomach. The two rolled on the ground a bit but crawled back to where Ginny had collapsed whimpering. They found each other and frantically entered a long hug until the pain disappeared.

Harry was worried at first that he had gone blind but torches and lanterns flared into light as the magic in the room woke up upon the arrival of the travelers. The three stood but Ginny sagged into Harry's side almost immediately. He caught her up and supported her with an arm around her waist before she totally hit the floor again. He looked at the smile on her face and wondered if she was okay.

'_**Just a little tired. It was a long day to start with and we just used a lot of magic, bonding or not.'**_

"_**We should all get some sleep Harry. The magic needs to settle and we've all been under a lot of stress – physical, mental and magical. And you fought that disgusting snake on top of everything else.'**_

Harry nodded at Hermione and looked around the room they were in. It seemed to be a cave or at least partially underground. All of the walls were formed of a white-streaked dark stone stone although the floors were a combination of the familiar flagstones they had at Hogwarts and a light colored wood. Furniture was set up in various places around the room but the pieces were all covered in drop cloths. They were five openings around the wall that led to closed oaken doors. Harry noticed one wide set of stairways that led upwards and a smaller one that led downwards. He was curious but there would be time to explore the different levels aftera good nights sleep.

The room itself was about forty feet in a roughly circular shape with an irregular roof that was close to about nine feet high. There were two massive windows cut through the rock on one side that let a cool breeze and the sound of distant waves enter the room. Harry was about to ask the girls to go exploring when they heard two small pops. Harry, Ginny, and Hermione turned and saw two house elves that had suddenly appeared. There was a male and a female. Both were dressed in knee length tunics in Gryffindor colors. The Potter family crest was prominently displayed on the upper chest of each tunic.

"Welcome back to Griffin's Lair Master Ja … no it is not him. Master Harry? It has been many, many years since you have been here."

Hermione recovered faster than Harry did at the reference to his father. "Yes, this is Harry Potter, James and Lily's son. My name is… I'm not exactly sure what my name is now. And you are..?"

"My apologies lady. My name is Rettus and this is my mate Llasol. We are the caretakers here at the Lair but since no one has been here in a number of years we were recalled to Potter Manor. When you arrived here, we were notified and came here as fast as we could. We apologize for the neglect and disuse you see."

Harry finally broke through the shock of meeting someone else that had known his parents. "There is no need for apologies Rettus. We have a long story to talk about but for now we just need a clean bed and maybe a bathroom. _**'Definitely a loo Harry.' **_It has been a long day and night for the three of us and we are in real need of some rest."

"My apologies Master, no… Lord Potter! It seems you do have a tale to tell us. I'll go and straighten up the master suite for you and your ladies."

"Rettus, I would prefer if you would just call us by our first names. My name is Harry and this is Ginny and Hermione. None of us have any need for titles from you or any other house elves that serve the House of Potter."

"That is unusual but if that is what you wish Mi'lord Harry, I will try to remember. Give me just a little time to prepare your room." Rettus disappeared with a snap of his fingers.

Harry felt a little woozy himself as the day's battles and stresses finally started finishing off his taxed reserves. He turned to the female elf and tried to clear his fuzzy thoughts. "Llasol?"

"Yes, Lord…sorry, Harry?"

"I know it's either very late at night or very early in the morning but could I impose on you to do something for the three of us? Our clothes are pretty grimy and I have no idea if there is anything fit to wear here. Could you go to Hogwarts School and fetch our three trunks from the dorms without anybody noticing you?"

"Of course, I have fixed your magical signatures and it will be a small matter to get your belongings from the school. We are happy to have you back here Harry. We all have wondered what happened to you after…"

"Thank you Llasol. I think signatures may be a little changed from what they were yesterday. We would appreciate any help you could give us."

Ginny spoke up from her place at Harry's side. "Harry has a mandolin in his dorm room. It's pretty important to him. Could you bring that here also?"

"Of course. Everything will be ready for the three of you when you wake in the morning." Harry barely had time to thank Llasol before she disappeared and Rettus walked through one of the doorways to the right of the trio.

"Your room is ready. I will get busy cleaning up the rest the Lair for your use and bringing in provisions." Rettus pointed to the door he came out of and Harry led the way through and closed the door behind them. They saw a large bedroom with a huge bed covered in some pillows and a thick comforter. Hermione was overjoyed to see the bed and stepped away from her mates. She immediately yelled out with pain and fell quivering to the floor to the floor. Harry and Ginny grimaced also but stumbled over to get to her side. Harry reached down and was relieved to see that Hermione's face relaxed when they touched her. The three made sure that they were all touching as Hermione regained her feet.

Hermione finished wiping away her tears when she stood. "I'm so sorry. I was so relieved to see the bed that I just forgot for a second."

"Don't do that anymore" Ginny said as she placed a comforting hand on Hermione's shoulder. "I didn't enjoy it a bit either but I really hate seeing you in pain."

"We're all going to have to be careful for a while" Harry said. "I hope this isn't permanent; we'd never get anything done. Not that I don't like hanging around with you both but…"

"It would be real handicap for you trying to catch the Snitch with three of us riding your broom."

Harry laughed. "We will have to try that when we get back to school. It would be okay with me if we were all dressed like in that dream we once had. Of course my first move would be to land my naked ladies before anybody saw us."

"Perv" said Ginny but she was smiling.

The three turned and looked around the master suite. The massive bed was at least king-sized and the frame was made up of a wood that Harry identified as Everwood. There was a woodland scene carved in to the wide headboard that contained a waterfall and a pool surrounded by a number of creatures both magical and normal. Hermione noticed with some interest that a pair of griffins seemed to be overseeing the gathering from the top of the waterfall. A wide bench sat at the foot of the bed and looked almost plush enough to sleep on. There were two dressers across from the bed and a number of paintings were hung on the walls. A silk and velvet rendering of the Potter family crest was hung by the door. There were three other doors Harry could see from where they stood.

"I hate to be a bother but I really need to use whatever they have here for a bathroom." Ginny had been fidgeting but Harry and Hermione could see she was really getting uncomfortable.

"Let's head that way first." The three headed to the door to the right side of the room but only found a closet filled with some older clothes at the first stop. The next door opened to the right facility and Ginny breathed a sigh of relief before she remembered something. "As bad as I have to go, I don't want Harry to watch me pee!"

Harry sighed. This was going to be a definite problem. "Let's try lining up in a row with Hermione in the middle and me on the opposite side from you Ginny. Maybe it will be enough contact so you can do your business without the seperation problem. It would be an improvement if we could get at least one hand free. We can't even walk right if we're in a circle all the time."

Harry cautiously let go of Ginny's shoulder and the three arrainged themselves like he had suggested. Hermione had Ginny's hand in one of her hands and Harry's in the other. Harry felt a huge ache and twinge somewhere deep inside him and his pain and anxiety level seemed to be rising by the second. But it was manageable - if it was going to be short.

'_**Ginny?'**_

'_**I'll try to be quick.'**_

Harry turned his head and then remembered he had a free hand. He flexed his wrist and caught his wand as the holder released it. He cast a 'Muffliato' spell on himself; that took care of any sounds that might be coming from Ginny's direction. If seemed a long time but then Harry felt a tug on his arm and saw that Hermione and Ginny were switching positions. Hermione didn't take too long doing her business and then she was pulled up by Ginny.

Hermione waved her hand in Harry's face and Harry cancelled the spell on himself. He turned his head back and saw the two girls looking at him. "You better go now Harry. I think once we go to sleep, it's going to be a long time until we wake up."

Harry nodded and went to the toilet. He was conscious of the girls behind him and had some difficulty relaxing himself to empty his bladder. Hermione was thoughtful enough to just place her hand in the middle of his back while he stood there. He hoped the girls behind him had respected his privacy also but he had a feeling the three of them were going to be very embarrassed over a lot of things for the foreseeable future.

Whe harry finished, the three made their way out of the bathroom. Hermione pointed out the big shower as well as the sunken tub that took up opposite corners in the mostly marble and tile room. Harry felt he needed a shower after all the activities he had been through but…

'_**You're clean enough for us.' **_Ginny yawned and seemed to have trouble putting one foot in front of the other as they walked back to the bed that took up the focus of the room. There were a few other chairs scattered around but no one was interested in anything but the bed.

Ginny stopped moving to yawn once again and Harry warned Hermione before he reached down and scooped Ginny up in his arms. They made their way to the bench even though Ginny was protesting that she didn't need to be carried. Harry resisted the urge to throw her in the middle of the bed but just set her down carefully on the piece of furniture. "I guess the next bit of coordination involves getting these robes and other clothes off. I think mine are too bloody to be worn again anyway."

"I think we do this one person at a time." Hermione reached down and put a hand on Ginny's head. "We'll have four hands free if we do this carefully. What do you want off Ginny?"

"Robe, shoes, socks at least. I'm going to try getting whatever else off somehow while you two help me."

Harry kept one hand on Ginny's leg as he knelt to untie her shoes and slipped them and her socks off. Hermione worked on unfastening Ginny's robe and she struggled out of it.. Harry kept his eyes closed as the girls worked on removing Ginny's top and skirt. Harry was finally given an ok and saw that Ginny had put her blouse back on and was about ready to go to sleep. "Just the top and some knickers left Harry" Ginny said as she stood up to help the others.

The stripping down continued on next with Hermione who just wanted to get some much needed shuteye. She was less reserved about Harry keeping his eyes closed and she was quickly reduced to her underwear with the help of the others. She looked Harry in the face but turned around to ask him to unhook her bra. Ginny watched astonished as Harry deftly unhooked her bra and Hermione just dropped it on the ground. 'Have to ask how he knew how to do that tomorrow' she thought.

Harry was a little embarrassed as the two mostly undressed girls turned their attention to helping him get rid of the clothes he was wearing. His robe was in a horrid state and was thrown far away from the small pile of other clothes that were now on the floor. His basilisk hide boots were dirty and blood-stained but Harry hoped they could be cleaned up.

Both girls were smiling as they attacked the fastening of his shirt. 'If I wasn't so tired right now I might be enjoying this a lot more.' Ginny's eyes widened as she saw Harry's chest but didn't say a word as she avoided his gaze.

Harry was finally left to handle the last bit of disrobing by himself. He had considered going to bed with his pants still on but when he saw some blood splashes and realized he could possibly get some of that blood on either of the girls. He turned around to undo his belt and unfasten the button and lower the zipper. The girls kept a hand on his back as he lowered and then stepped out of his trousers.

Ginny tried keeping her eyes averted as Harry was standing next to her in just his boxers and a blush. She finally turned his head so they could see each other and put one hand up to touch his cheek. "I'm glad we're all here together Harry but for Merlin's sake let's not waste any more time being embarrassed and just get into bed."

Harry stood looking at the bed and took the girls hands to walk to one side. It seemed easier to get up into the bed if they didn't have to crawl up the length of the bed. The edge of the mattress was about waist high on Harry so they would have to climb up like they did back at Hogwarts. Harry pointed at the big surface and yawned before speaking. "Ladies first is the usual order of things."

Hermione laughed and gave Harry a push on the shoulder. "I think it would probably be best if you climbed in first and got comfortable dear husband."

The wizard stopped his movement for a second in shock. "We're definitely going to have to talk about that."

"Tomorrow!" One of the two girls swatted Harry on his butt and he got the message to turn back the covers and climbed carefully into the bed making sure that he held onto one of the girls hands. Hermione took his glasses once he removed them and placed them on the nearest nightstand.

Harry reached out for Ginny's hand and pulled on her. The push on her behind from Hermione however launched her up and she landed square on Harry's chest. Harry looked and saw the mixed look of anxiety, surprise and shock on her face. Harry smiled wearily and kissed Ginny on the forehead. "I really like this but you probably can find a more comfortable place to sleep." Ginny shook her head no but quickly slid down to Harry's right side and watched as Hermione climbed in next to Harry.

Hermione gave Harry a quick peck to the lips and settled under Harry's arm on his left side. Harry wrapped his other arm around Ginny and drew the two girls closer to him. Both girls peeked over his chest and nodded to each other as if they had just found the right place to be. The reached out a free hand and clasped them over the top of Harry's body after they drew the covers up.

Ginny was the first to reach up and whisper "Good night Harry" into his ear. She gave him a quick peck to the cheek and was asleep almost immediately when she settled back down.

Hermione whispered to Harry that it was bad form to snore on one's honeymoon but then chuckled softly and was silent.

Harry thought the bed was very comfortable especially with the warmth and company of a girl on each side of him. He closed his eyes briefly as he considered his incredible good fortune in the last couple of hours. Surviving the encounters in the Chamber of Secrets and later in Hermione's mind was something he knew was going to occupy his thoughts for a long time.

Harry relaxed but then his eyes popped open with a thought. _**'We didn't turn the lights out. Now we've got to get up again.'**_

A sleepy Hermione squirmed into a more comfortable position at his side. _**'You're the master here now Harry. Just order what you want.'**_

Harry raised his head slowly as he didn't want to disturb the already sleeping Ginny. He whispered softly. "Nox!"

The lights in the master bedroom faded out to darkness as Harry Potter and his new wives settled into a well-deserved and long overdue slumber. Nobody was there to notice the faint glow the three were giving off or the rare sparkle of magic that seemed to dance over the sleeping figures.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – A Washday Brunch

Hermione was the first of the three that woke up and wondered initially where she was. The bed was unfamiliar but she drew in another breathe and recognized the unique scent of the body she was pressed up against. Harry! The events of the last evening went through her mind again and she had a couple of excited thoughts that struck her at the same time.

Firstly was the fact that Ginny, Harry and she were all safe somewhere where nobody knew where to find them. That prompted a little concern involving her parents but then she remembered the letter they had left. That should reassure them. The feelings and presences that were in and around her highlighted the important fact that had made the going away necessary. The bond had evolved and been completed and they were all married together now if the new rings meant anything. She hoped they could move apart soon as she really wanted to reward Harry for his bravery sometime.

Hermione felt that the next couple of private days would be important for the three of them and their future lives. It was a question of togetherness and separateness that they would have to all talk out before they even thought about approaching their parents. Mrs. Weasley would be especially insistent about getting Ginny back to the safety of the Burrow.

'_**Could we at least get breakfast down before we worry about how I'm going to survive the next meeting with Ginny's brothers?'**_

'_**Good morning Harry, if it's still morning, that is. Are you feeling any better?'**_

'_**Just a little heaviness on my chest.'**_ Hermione opened her eyes and saw what Harry's problem was. Ginny had been a little restless during the night and found that the most comfortable place for her to sleep was right back on top of Harry. It was a statement of his degree of exhaustion that Harry had not noticed the change in sleeping arrangement. Harry was looking back at Hermione and she could see a little amusement in his eyes along with a sense of amazement. _**'This would be funny if I didn't have a problem.'**_

"_**Is it a little problem Harry?' **_

Harry shook his head and stuck his tongue out at Hermione.

'_**Don't make promises you can't keep.'**_

'_**Hermione Granger-Potter? You little witch.'**_

'_**I like the sound of that. You shouldn't say little if you have the problem I think you have.'**_

'_**Shut up both of you. I'm still sleeping.'**_

'_**Morning Ginny. Do you think your mum would approve of your new pillow?'**_

Hermione watched as Ginny's eyes popped open as she realized where she was. She scrambled up and tried fleeing from Harry and the bed but he grabbed her by the tail of her shirt and hauled her back. Hermione was giggling like crazy and when Ginny realized she wasn't getting away from Harry she turned and launched herself across his body intending to tickle the other girl. Harry held the two girls apart as they mock fought with flying hands and an occasional poke to his ribs along the way. He finally managed to force both of them to lie back flat with his outstretched arms and looked each of them directly. "I see we are somewhat back to normal but there's a time and place for some things and unfortunately I can't think of anything but a quick trip to the loo right now."

'_**Harry's dilemma is whether he can go by himself or we all go as a group again.'**_

Ginny thought about Hermione's statement and then asked Harry what he wanted.

"I'd prefer to go by myself but if we're still need to be physically touching I guess we go together. I'm sorry."

Harry wasn't expecting the finger that was waggling in his face. "Quit saying that. This wasn't your fault any more than it was mine or Hermione's."

"But…"

"Harry, I've seen everything of yours except your bits and that little mind explosion of sharing yesterday showed me what Hermione has seen of you. And that was everything else. We're sleeping together for Merlin's sake so we're going to have to get used to each other's nakedness I guess."

Harry turned to look at Hermione and she seemed to be agreeing with what Ginny had said. "Okay ladies. Let's try separating. I'm still setting up so if you could just reach each other behind me I'll try scooting away from you."

Ginny looked a little worried but she did as Harry requested. When she and Hermione were touching each other, Harry moved the covers down and moved toward the foot of the bed. He grunted immediately and Hermione reached out her other hand to place it on his back.

"How was that for you two?"

"Still very bad but not near as bad as last night."

"Don't go by yourself Harry."

Harry moved back to where he had started. "Guess we're going to get real familiar with each other. I'd hoped to talk all this out with you before we had to use the facilities again but I guess not."

Hermione nodded but drew the covers up to cover both her and the other two again. "Can you wait much longer Harry?"

"Maybe a minute but then we need to get moving."

"Good maybe there's time for something else. Llasol!"

The house elf appeared at the foot of the bed and Ginny turned a questioning look at Hermione. "Llasol, would you start filling up the bath? Lots of bubbles if you have them. We need to clean up so you might tell Rettus that we'll be out for breakfast after we do that. Maybe a half hour I hope."

"Of course. Do you need anything else?"

Harry looked at the house elf. "Just start the bath for us please and then you can go back to doing whatever it was you were doing. Oh, and some towels would be nice."

"Towels and robes are already there and your trunks are setting on top of the dressers."

The 'Thank You' came from both the girls at the same time and Harry chuckled. "We'll need to sit down and talk to you and Rettus for a while today. What time is it anyway?"

"Almost 1 in the afternoon Lord, sorry…Harry. I'll go start your bath then. Excuse me." Llasol turned and walked through the door to the bathroom and they heard the sound of the water running and then the faint pop as she disappeared again.

"Sorry but the sound of running water…"

"Let's get going then Harry, it's affecting us too."

Hermione handed Harry his glasses and the three exited the bed in much the same manner as they had climbed up earlier. They were a little less cautious as they had worked out most of the coordination issues the night before. They were all in the bathroom before Ginny realized that nobody had brought a wand. Before she could get embarrassed, Hermione thought for a second and drew a little bit of the bond magic to cast a silencing spell on the area. Harry mouthed a 'Good work' at the two girls, stepped forward, and tried concentrating on what he needed to do.

With the silencing spell in place, Harry didn't notice the little elbowing that was going on behind him. Ginny started it as Hermione smiled and started looking around Harry to see exactly what he was doing. Ginny's mouth dropped and she pulled Hermione back. Hermione winked at her and inclined her head to encourage Ginny to take a peek herself. She shook her head 'No' but she did start leaning one way until Harry turned suddenly and caught them both staring. Harry moved back to the end of the line and waited until both girls had gone again.

Hermione cancelled the silencing spell and then the three had to go over to the sunken tub to turn off the water before it started overflowing. Harry saw with some relief that Llasol had found some bubble bath so the top of the water was covered in foam. But there was still the matter of getting in and that involved getting rid of whatever clothing the three had left on.

"Honestly Harry" Hermione said, "quit being so noble. You've seen me naked and I've seen you. Ginny will just have to adjust. She's wanted to see you naked for a while anyway." Hermione wiggled out of her lilac-colored knickers with one hand and they fell to the floor.

Ginny blushed but started unbuttoning her blouse and then dropped it on the floor. She turned her back to Harry and also lowered her knickers to the floor. Then both girls turned and looked at Harry. Hermione was reaching out for his boxers when Harry made his decision.

Harry pulled both girls close and then fell over sideways into the sunken tub. There was a scream from Ginny that was cut off as they all went under. Hermione came up sputtering and Harry dragged her to the head of the bath so he could take off his glasses and place them on the shelf that contained the faucets, some soap and shampoo.

"That was a low-down dirty trick Harry." Ginny had stood up and was wading rapidly through the suds to get to Harry, her indignation temporarily overcoming any pain she had. Harry however was ignoring the danger and laughing as he watched the bubble encrusted redhead approach him. Ginny stopped right in front of Harry and glared at him as she put one hand on his chest. Harry slowly stopped laughing. He gulped noticeably and addressed his friend. "We're all in the tub. Isn't that what you wanted?"

Harry missed whatever signal passed between the two girls because they suddenly attacked him. Hermione grabbed his arms and Ginny stripped his boxers from him as she pulled him off his feet dunking him. Harry came up just in time to watch Ginny throw his underwear halfway across the bathroom. The three looked at each other and began laughing uncontrollably.

Ginny then turned and covered up her face with both hands. "I don't believe I just did that."

There was a small ledge that ran along three sides of the tub that allowed them to sit down comfortably. The three ended up sitting together on one side until the giggles ran their course. "I guess I deserved that but you have to admit I surprised you."

"There's surprises…"

"and there's surprises. You might want to remember Mr. Potter that you are outnumbered in the gender department."

Harry looked from one side to another in confusion and then realized that he had been keeping his mental shields totally up since once they had moved into the bathroom. He cautiously lowered them and felt the familiar presence of his… What exactly were they now? Harry looked down at his hand and saw the new ring on the third finger.

Hermione and Ginny saw where his gaze was and just leaned in for another hug. "We'll figure this out Harry. It's really ok."

Harry looked at the smiling faces and just shook himself mentally. "We've got a lot of talking to do but how are we doing this? Everybody take care of themselves or am I washing both of you?"

Ginny gasped but then turned her back. "I'll ALLOW you to wash my hair Harry."

Harry turned to Hermione but she was smiling. "I'm next for that but I'll wash myself while you're doing her hair. We'll get to everything. Remember Rettus is fixing breakfast for us."

Harry nodded his head and took the shampoo that Hermione had taken from the top of the tub. He poured some on his hand and put the bottle down. When he started lathering Ginny's head, she leaned back and almost purred in appreciation. "This feels great Harry."

"Glad to be of service. This isn't where I thought I'd end up when I entered the Chamber yesterday but I'm certainly not complaining."

Harry jumped a bit when Hermione started washing his back. He relaxed at her touch and concentrated on the job in front of him. He finally told Ginny he was finished with the lathering and closed his eyes when she ducked down to rinse off her head. She came back up smiling and Harry turned to avoid seeing her front. Hermione had no such modesty and just winked at Harry when he ended up looking directly at her front when he turned. When Harry closed his eyes again, Hermione shook her head and put the bar of soap down. "That's enough!"

Harry felt both girls gather in front of him and felt two different hands touch his face. _**'Go ahead and look Harry. We're not going to bite you.'**_

'_**Not yet anyway!'**_

Harry opened his eyes to see both girls standing in front of him. They were protected by the foam from their stomachs down but Harry drew a breath as he had two very lovely pair of breasts to gaze at. Harry was transfixed for more than a couple of seconds but forced his gaze upwards to the faces of Ginny and Hermione.

"You are both beautiful but you have to give me at least a little break here. I never expected… I wasn't… Oh, sod it – you're both breathtakingly gorgeous and I'm overwhelmed to be here with both of you." Harry stood up and caught both young ladies in a hug.

'_**Is that a wand in your pocket Mr. Potter or are you just happy to see us?'**_

Harry groaned and sat back down on the ledge. "I have no control over that as you well know. I'll let you two bathe alone from now on."

"Absolutely not!" Harry had a bar of soap put in his hand by Ginny and Hermione started lathering up his hair. Harry had caught on he was in over his head and bent to washing up. With a little bit of giggling and turning this way and that, the three finished their bath.

Harry let the girls use his shoulders as a steady point as they stepped out of the bath and they turned the heads to give him some sense of privacy when he stepped out. Harry went back first to pull the plug and let the water drain out before he left the tub. They helped each other dry off and quickly donned the white fluffy robes that were embroidered with the Potter family crest. When they stepped out of the bathroom, they were happy to discover that Llasol or Rettus had laid out some of their clothes for them to wear. The clothes were a little more formal than what they usually wore when they were alone but the rumblings from their stomachs just encouraged them to hurry up and get dressed.

The clothes they had arrived in had been picked up and cleaned, even Harry's filthy and bedraggled robe. Ginny remarked it was going to be nice to have someone clean up after them but a look from Harry had her rethinking that statement. The three took a look at their trunks and started talking about whether they unpacked them or just changed their clothes out of them. It was a topic Harry decided would be added to the already long discussion list.

Holding hands, Harry and the two girls exited the bedroom to what they decided to call the living room. Llasol was awaiting them by one of the other doorways and bowed when she greeted the three again. Harry frowned a bit but just followed her when she led them through the doorway.

What they came to was the dining room of the Lair. The room was about twenty by fifteen and held a circular oaken table that was about 9 feet wide. Harry had the odd thought that he was glad he didn't have to sit at the head of the table and pretend he was in charge of everything. He escorted the girls to the table. The looked around at the other pictures that adorned the walls and Harry at least was happy to see one was a large mural of Hogwarts.

There were a good number of dishes on the table that contained a variety of different foods. Evidently Rettus (or whoever the cook was) had decided that a combination of breakfast and a light lunch was the exact right thing to serve the three new occupants of the Lair. Harry pulled three chairs close together and the three sat together so that their legs were touching one another. They had just begun helping themselves to the various foods when Rettus and Llasol came through a rear doorway to the room. Harry hoped that meant the kitchen was right next to the dining room.

Harry paused in the helping himself and asked which of the elves was the cook. Rettus seemed to hesitate before he admitted that it was joint effort and if he or his ladies were disappointed or upset by the selection.

"No, I just wanted to thank whoever did this for a fine job."

"Thanks aren't necessary Mi'lord Harry. It's our honor and pleasure to serve your house and you and your ladies."

"Would it be okay if you and Llasol joined us at the table while we ate? I thought we would take the opportunity to get to know each other better."

The two house elves looked as if they might faint. "It's not allowed Master Harry" Llasol finally said. Harry looked up sharply.

"May I ask who gave you that order?"

"Knop."

"And Knop is?" asked Hermione with a grin. She had a suspicion of what Harry was about to do.

Rettus replied to the question. "Knop is the …major domo for all the house elves that serve the Potter family. He has told us that house elves are not to be a bother to the any members of the family and to remember our place in the order of things."

Ginny paused in smearing marmalade on a piece of toast and looked at Rettus. "And who does Knop work for Rettus?"

"That would be you Harry and your wives." Rettus looked a little conflicted at the line of questions.

"So I'll ask again, would you two join us at the table? I'll not demand or force you to do this but the two of you know a lot more of this place and things about the Potter family. We are planning on being here for at least four or five days and you'll find that I may do things a little different than the previous heads of this house."

Llasol took a step forward to the edge of the table. "You desire our help?"

Harry laughed. "Is that so surprising since we are so young? Or is it surprising that I'm the head of the House of Potter and know almost nothing about it other than my parents' names and a little of their history? Yes we would like your help and your friendship if you would allow it."

Rettus stepped up beside his mate. "But what would we tell Knop about this…. familiarity?"

Hermione smiled and gestured the two house elves to sit. "For now you don't, I think Harry will inform him of the new changes when we go to Potter Manor."

Ginny gulped down her pumpkin juice before she spoke. "We're going to Potter Manor?"

Harry turned to take up Ginny's hand. "Yes, at least if you and Hermione don't mind. We're taking the time here to talk, explore and settle things between the three of us before we do anything else. And I'd like to see where my dad grew up and I guess that's our 'official' home now until we decide otherwise."

"Wow!" said Ginny.

"Yes, and now back to our breakfast companions." Harry looked back to the two house elves that had been fascinated by the conversation amongst their not quite usual master and mistresses.

Rettus and Llasol pulled out two of the dining chairs and sat on them. They were way too short to be seen properly and Hermione said that it was okay for them to adjust their seats to be more comfortable. Rettus smiled a little uneasily but made a wiggle with his fingers and the two chairs grew about two feet taller. Harry nodded in satisfaction as all five could see and talk to each other easily.

"What does Mi'lord and his wives wish to know."

Harry raised an eyebrow back at Rettus and he corrected himself. "What can we tell you - Harry, Ginny, and Hermione?"

Hermione asked the first question as she reached for a small platter of sandwiches. "Where exactly is Griffin's Lair? I know you can't show us on a map because it is Unplottable but a general idea of where in the world we are would be a good starting place."

Rettus looked to Harry first and he had to stifle a chuckle at the elf's confusion. "I am only in charge of everything in name only. We three are equal in all other matters. These two ladies are highly intelligent as well as very attractive and will not stand for the idea of taking a subservient role to me. Not that I would like that."

'_**At least outside the bedroom Harry.'**_

Harry drew in a deep breath and continued. "I'm sure they have just as many questions as I do so you might as well get used to answering them as well as me."

Rettus shook his head as if trying to understand the crazy humans in front of him but he did speak. "In your terms, Griffin's Lair is located in Cnoc Glas, the island of Soay, in St. Kilda's archipelago - west of the Outer Hebrides."

Hermione's face screwed up in concentration as she tried to remember the geography lessons she had taken in primary school. It took about thirty seconds for her to translate the information into something a little more understandable.

"Oh my goodness, if I understand this right, we're about a third of the way between Hogwarts and Iceland." For Ginny's sake Hermione made another reference she would understand. "It would take two days and a night on Harry's speedy Nimbus to fly here from Hogwarts. That's how far away from everything we are here."

"Whoa, that's a bunch isn't it? So what's Cnog Glass mean?"

"Cnoc Glas, Lady Ginny, sorry.. Ginny, translates to 'Grey Hill'.

"Oh too bad, I was kind of hoping that it was something more romantic or dangerous sounding."

"Like Soul's Home or Foul Harbor?"

Even the two house elves smiled a little at Harry's gentle kidding of the girl on his right side. Hermione leaned forward a bit and looked over at her best friend. "Doesn't the name Griffin's Lair sound exotic enough for you Ginny?"

"Well, I guess it will do. Sorry Harry."

Harry looked across the table and saw a thoughtful expression on Llasol's face. "You have a question Llasol?"

"I was just wondering… if you don't mind, how long have you been bonded together."

Harry rolled his eyes and then looked at his wristwatch. "This time it's been about 14 hours but it's been on and off with either or both for almost three years."

That seemed to shock the pair of house elves. "You are a most unusual wizard Harry. It must be a very complicated tale to have a bond like this develop in ones so young."

"It is and I may tell it to you Rettus one day soon. It's not all mine to tell because I was in the infirmary for a good deal of time, so my gracious ladies may have to fill in some of the blank periods of time."

'_**Harry, we could share ALL that knowledge we have with you so you would know.'**_

Harry nodded but spoke up to address Llasol and Rettus. "We have the ability to talk mentally with each other but we'll try not to do too much of that when you are around because we don't want you to think we are hiding anything from you. My "wife" Hermione was informing me that they could share their memories with me but we seemed to have shared our entire lives at one point last night. There's a lot of memories floating around in my head right now and I don't want to risk having a mental breakdown by experiencing everything all over again. That is one of the many things we have to talk about. That's the main reason we didn't stay at Hogwarts."

"It sounds very complicated. I have no knowledge of any wizard or witches being in your situation. Especially being so young."

Ginny nodded at Llasol's expression of sympathy and looked at the ring on her finger again. "Harry, are we really married together or are the rings just a side effect of what the magic just did for us?"

"I don't know Ginny. I feel married but if we are not married already, I guess I have no excuse for kidnapping you and Hermione from Hogwarts."

Hermione dug her elbow into Harry's side. "You didn't kidnap anybody; we came willingly if you remember." Harry sighed and placed his silverware on the plate in front of him. He had been eating all during the conversations but the last bit had made his appetite disappear.

"Mi'lord Harry?"

Harry looked across at Rettus who was setting across from him and didn't even try to correct the way the elf had addressed him. It was a lot better than master.

"Yes Rettus?"

"Would you allow me to go check? Someone at the Manor may have heard something or we could find out somehow from the Ministry of Magic."

Harry turned to look at his mates and received nods from them. "That would be wonderful Rettus. I'm not sure if there would be some sort of official announcement or how anything like this is handled."

"There are surely some elves at Potter Manor who were there when your parents married Harry. Maybe they know what and where to look for something official."

"If it's not official Ginny, then I don't have any reason to stop your parents from taking either of you home."

"I won't go!"

"Ginny, I love you and Hermione and I do want us all to be together. But I don't have any kind of legal standing to keep your parents from enforcing their rights. I just don't know yet. And I'm not going to risk having your parents hate me. Merlin knows it's going to be difficult enough talking to them when we do go back."

Ginny leaned in and hugged Harry while Hermione did the same from the opposite side. Llasol and Rettus got down from their chairs and withdrew to the edge of the kitchen. Harry didn't have to do much to have the house elves decide to help him as best they could irregardless of their official standing.

Hermione straightened up first from the mutual hug and saw that the house elves had granted them some privacy. She cleared her throat and addressed the two custodians. "Harry will probably never directly order either of you to do something unless if involves his or our safety. But this matter is really important to all three of us. Please do what you can to find out about our marriage."

Rettus stepped forward again. "I will do what I can Hermione. I just need your permission to leave my duties here for a bit before I can go. Llasol will stay here in case you need anything else."

Harry looked up and wiped away a stray tear. "I'm afraid I have another new rule for you two. If you need or want to go away from here, you don't need my permission. Just let us know that you are leaving and when you expect to get back. Despite our age, we can take care of ourselves when we need to."

"Harry can even cook!" Ginny quipped. Llasol looked terribly insulted by the fact that the Head of the House would even consider doing something so lowly.

"I'll leave immediately then and will try to get back as soon as I can." Rettus did a formal bow to the three at the table and had vanished with a pop in the middle of straightening up.

Llasol came back to the edge of the table. "I will clear this up and continue on with the rest of the Lair afterwards. There's a pretty good view from the common area this time of the day. I'll leave you alone for your discussions but call on me if you need anything."

"Thank you Llasol!" The house elf started as three voices came out in unison from the people at the table. Harry laughed but stood and held on to the hands of his ladies as he left the dining room.

"This has been a most unusual day" Llasol said half to herself as she waved her hand and the food and plates disappeared from the table. 'But considering the unusualness of our new master and mistresses, I would venture a guess that it will be very unusual from here on.' Llasol cast a glance in the direction the three had went but went and turned back to go into the kitchen to finish the cleaning up.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – The Outer and Inner View

They all walked through the common area and went to the nearest window. The view was spectacular; they were looking down a cliff face that was fronted by a rock and grass covered slope that led to a wide cove. Harry could tell that they were looking directly north by the position of the sun and the shadows that lay around some of the bigger outcropping of rocks.

There were a number of smaller outcrops of rocks in the cove that may or may not have been covered at high tide and a larger island that was about the size of a soccer field about a quarter-mile off from the shoreline. Ginny looked down and pointed out a small herd of sheep that were grazing here and there across the mixed pasture. The colorful flowers that were blooming randomly seemed to be a particular target for the wild sheep. There were a number of different seabirds in the air and nesting in and on the various rocks they could see. That offshore island seemed to be swarming with birds.

It was a very relaxing vision and Harry felt some of the tension leaving his body as he looked at the natural scenery. The combination of the breeze and the sounds coming from outside also helped him forget about all the myriad problems that he felt were going to drive him crazy.

Hermione feeling his mood relax, nudged Harry and pointed to the overstuffed couch that was pulled up right in front of the other window. "It looks like someone else enjoyed the panorama also. Why don't we go sit for a while and just enjoy the view for a bit?"

Hermione led the way over to the couch and sat down. Harry sat down next to her but Ginny decided to lay down and just placed her head on Harry's leg. "If we go outside sometime you can show me around then. I'm not really sleepy but I just want to be right here."

She tucked a hand under her head and listened as Harry and Hermione tried identifying the different types of birds they saw soaring across the skies. Because they were sitting up, Harry and Hermione had a view of the ocean that Ginny couldn't see.

"You think we could talk Rettus into putting a table just big enough for the three of us out here? It would seem to be a great place to have breakfast and watch the sunrise."

Ginny giggled. "I think any request you made of Rettus or Llasol would be done before you got done asking Harry. I think they like their new Head of House.

A small inflatable boat came around from the west and stopped a couple of hundred feet away from the shoreline. Hermione saw the three people in the boat drop an anchor and put out a floating red flag with a diagonal white strip on it. "Divers" said Hermione.

"What color are those birds?" Ginny asked.

"Muggles Ginny. There's three people out there who are going swimming underwater for a while."

"They must be able to hold their breath a long time."

"They carry the air they need to breathe in metal containers they wear on their backs Ginny."

That seemed to get Ginny's attention and she sat up to take a look at the raft out in the cove. Unfortunately the people were a little too far away to see clearly but Harry could tell by the splashes that the divers had gone overboard.

"So how long will they stay underwater?"

"I really don't know Ginny. Sometimes it depends on how deep they go. Maybe a half hour or forty-five minutes."

"Well, let me know when they come back. I can't wait to tell Dad I saw some muggles that wander around underwater." She went to laying back down unaware that she had said just enough to disturb Harry's fragile sense of peacefulness.

Harry released Hermione's hand and brought his arm across her shoulders to pull her closer. "I've certainly got a lot of different things on my mind right now. But I want to hear what you two are thinking or worrying about."

Ginny raised her head up and patted Harry's knee. "Besides going to the loo by ourselves?"

"Hey, I've got my own concerns about that too. There's just some things I don't want or need to know about either of you."

"Understandable Harry. The need to keep in constant contact seems to be lessening so maybe we won't have to do the community business much longer."

"So what is the topmost worry for Mrs. Hermione this morning?"

"That's how you're going to address us hubby? That doesn't sound very affectionate."

"My apologies then… Nonnie and Ginny. If you have any doubts about how I feel about you…" Harry opened his mental connection fully to encompass both his mates; he sent them his feelings and was rewarded with a warm flush of affection, contentment and desire in return. Harry grinned at the warm flush that covered Hermione's face and the sigh the came from Ginny.

Hermione gave Harry a brief kiss to his cheek and slapped Ginny's hand where it had gone wandering up the inside of Harry's thigh. _**'Spoilsport!'**_

"That's another thing that figures on my list of things to worry about. Intimacy between the three of us. I'm all for going on with just hugs and kisses but… Oh lord, I just remembered!"

"What Harry?"

"A promise I made to Tony, Hermione's dad, over the Christmas holidays."

'_**We need to have a private chat about those days Gin. Harry and I did a lot of very nice things.'**_

"Still listening in over here! Which is another topic in itself."

"So what did you promise Mr. Granger?"

"I promised I wouldn't… er, shag Hermione until after we graduated Hogwarts … or got married."

"WHAT?"

Hermione could see and feel the anger rising from Harry's other side. Ginny was getting mad. She laid a hand on Ginny's arm and tried explaining. "My Dad wanted to make sure that Harry and I didn't get too carried away with things because we had some time alone at our house. Harry did the gentlemanly think and made that promise without any prompting by me or my Dad."

"It was supposed to be a reassurance that things would not go that far for many years. I had no idea that we would all be here in this situation and I'm not saying I want to shag either of you right now. That would be totally wrong. But I just had the horrid thought of your parents finding out that we might be married before we could tell them. I couldn't bear it if Tony might think I was taking advantage of you that way. We're all underage for goodness sake."

"Or my Mum Harry" came the quiet voice beside him. Harry sunk down as he imagined Mrs. Weasleys voice addressing him. It wouldn't be so much of a talk as a verbal massacre that might actually endanger his life.

"If we're not sure then I hope our parents might not have any idea either."

Harry smiled at Hermione's reassurance but then he shook his head. "I'm back to my original question then. What do you think we should or should not do to and with each other? I'm leaving it totally up to you girls. I'll be fine with whatever you decide."

Ginny smirked and Hermione grinned. Harry reached for his wand again and cast a personal Muffliato spell on himself again. He leaned forward on the couch so that his ladies could talk privately behind his back.

'His ladies' sounded very nice to Harry. He turned his attention back to the waterscape in front of him and tried to imagine going down and seeing the tidal pools that he knew were probably in a fewer of the lower rock clusters. Harry would have to look around to see if there were any binoculars around somewhere; it didn't make any sense to not have something to take a closer look at the wildlife and scenery from up here.

There was a quick movement from down near the raft and Harry looked up just in time to see something that he wasn't expecting. A small pod of dolphins were frolicking in the water. Harry could see two or three fins circling the small rubber boat and Harry hoped the divers were just as surprised as he was. They must be summer visitors as Harry expected the winters up here were very cold and violent.

Harry had stood up in his excitement at seeing the marine mammals but the girls had automatically reached out to him to maintain their contact. Harry cancelled the spell on himself and pointed out the window. "Dolphins!" Hermione grasped his hand to be pulled up and Harry turned to look down at Ginny's upturned face.

_**** **__Tom looked down at the prostrate girl lying on the floor. Ginny Weasley looked up defiantly through tear-stained eyes. 'Quit resisting me and do what I say- if you don't I will start torturing your family first and then move on to hurting your precious Harry Potter!' *__*****_

Xxxx xxxx

"Ginny!" Harry almost cried as he gathered Ginny up in a hug, lifting her totally off her feet. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Tell us what?" Hermione asked as she came close to the pair.

Harry turned teary eyes as he looked past Ginny's shoulder. "That Tom abused her."

Ginny struggled to break free of Harry's grip. "You weren't to know that. Put me down Harry. Right now!"

Harry relented and set her down on the couch again but he didn't let go of her hand. He knelt between her feet and Hermione sat down next to her and put her arm around Ginny's shoulders. Ginny had her eyes closed.

"Tom is gone now Ginny. He's not going to hurt you, your family or me."

Ginny started sobbing quietly and Harry and Hermione did their best to hug and comfort the younger girl. It was a couple of minutes before they felt Ginny raise her head up to gently kiss both Hermione and Harry.

Hermione ran a hand through Ginny's hair. "Do you want to talk about it Ginny? We'll listen if that's all you want us to do. We can even make up names for you to call that foul excuse for a wizard."

Ginny sniffled her runny nose and then grabbed Harry and Hermione in a tight hug. "You are really the best. I've just been holding things in for so long. It was a secret for so long, first on my account and then because Tom wouldn't let me talk."

"You can talk now. All you want – scream, rant, punch pillows. Anything you want to say or do to get all those pains and memories out."

Harry picked up Ginny's chin and looked her dead in the eyes. "He tortured you, didn't he?" Hermione gasped beside them both. Ginny nodded just a little. "Did … did he do anything else Ginny?"

Ginny closed her eyes tightly and sobbed again. Harry carefully put an arm underneath her knees and lifted her up to hold her close. "We need to go to our bed Hermione; I think she needs us both close now."

Hermione walked silently beside Harry and Ginny and made sure that Ginny knew she was right there as she continued to say some reassuring words to the troubled girl.

Harry laid Ginny down on the bed and then hopped up beside her. Hermione bit her lip as she went around to the other side of the bed and climbed in. She still felt a little bit of the separation anxiety/pain but she was also picking up on the distress the Ginny was going through. She moved close enough to touch Ginny and started rubbing her back and shoulders. Harry had lain sideways and Ginny had just plastered herself to his front as she broke out crying again.

Casting a worried look over Ginny's head, Harry tried focusing on just sending a mental question to Hermione. _**'What do we do Now?'**_

"_**We hold on and let her vent. Keep telling her she's safe and loved and away from Tom. Maybe she'll talk or share when she's ready."**_

Harry nodded back at Hermione and just started rocking Ginny just a little bit like one would rock a baby when it was crying. Harry suddenly was reminded that what he doing was exactly what his Aunt Petunia would do for Dudley when he was sick or pretending to be sick to get out of a test at school. Ginny stopped crying for a second and drew in a breath_**. 'She noticed that Harry.'**_

Harry hadn't realized he had been broadcasting to her but he tried remembering any funny thing that he had ever seen or had happened to him and deliberately directed those images and memories to Ginny. The donkey ears he grew from eating one of the twins candies… the look on Malfoy's face when he was stuck to the ceiling that one night… Hagrid's idea of a tasty cake… Fang knocking him down and licking his face…(Hermione was smiling and nodding as Ginny stopped crying)…Hermione's bra going off in front of her mother…Ron being woken up in the History of Magic when Hermione 'accidentally' dropped her notebook on his head… The Stone Soup lesson with the twins…

Harry kept the experiences going for a good three or four minutes and then started replaying them again. Ginny eventually busted out laughing at all the funny things that had happened to one or the other of them. Harry smiled at his success and Hermione reached in to tickle Ginny's neck. Ginny laughed, turned over and attacked her with both hands. Harry let them go until they were both breathless and holding their sides. Harry kept a hand on Ginny's back so they wouldn't be disturbed by being separated.

"Better now precious?" Harry asked.

"Yes, thank you. Precious? Really?"

"I'm trying to find a new nickname for you if you don't mind. I thought since we were all starting a new phase in our relationship, I started with a new nickname for you since we've never really settled on a good one for you before."

"Precious is not going to be it, sorry. And now I have to go to the bathroom again because of all the tickling."

"Me too Harry."

"Ok, you two go. I had a new idea about how we can disconnect- at least for the bathroom breaks. Let's hope it works."

Harry extended his magic and senses until he felt that he was reaching into both the girls' minds and could touch their own magic. "Try it now." Harry had his eyes closed but could feel them moving toward the foot of the bed. As they moved farther away, Harry kept his magical sense with both of them.

He felt them get off of the bed and then they both yelled back to him that it was working. Harry felt them enter the bathroom and let them know he was only tracking them and not looking. They gave him a mental wave and Harry just experimented with touching their magic and the bit of bond magic that seemed to be in each of the three.

It was two minutes later when Ginny and Hermione both rushed back to the bed and jumped in to reestablish contact with Harry. Harry opened his eyes and took a deep breath. It was a difficult and different type of mental ability he had just tried.

"How did you know to try that Harry?"

"I'm not sure Hermione but when Ginny started reacting to all those funny thoughts I realized we were connected very deeply by the bond magic. We have been trying to separate ourselves from it to try to do things individually. What if the exact opposite thing was the right thing to do?"

"So we need to face the fact that we're a unit for some things?"

"I don't know Hermione. I'm winging it and trying to think everything out. It just made sense to make sure that all parts of our bond magic were touching. We each have some of the total now. Nobody knows anything about this bond stuff; Dumbledore only had guesses."

Ginny moved so she was sitting on Harry's lap. "I'm very glad you figured at least this one thing out Harry." She gave Harry a kiss right on the lips. Harry smiled a little and then felt Ginny's mouth chew on his lower lip and then her tongue slipped out to enter his mouth. Harry's pulse increased a great deal for thirty seconds as Ginny continued the kiss and tongue wrestle. He groaned just a little bit when Ginny moved away and off his lap. "That's for solving our bathroom problem."

Hermione moved over and replaced Ginny on Harry's lap. "And this is just because I haven't kissed you since you left for Gringotts. And that was days and days ago it seems." Hermione placed both her hands around Harry's neck and pulled him into another open mouth kiss. Harry heard Ginny clapping with delight and he was dizzy when Hermione decided to end the encounter.

Harry took a minute to settle his rapidly beating heart and the things happening below his belt that were other serious distractions. He looked at the two girls who were kneeling at his sides. "Will you tell me what you've decided about our physical relationship?"

"We'll tell you or show you at bedtime Harry." Both girls were on the verge of breaking out in giggles and Harry decided they were just torturing him in their own gentle way until later.

Harry reached out and brought Ginny back to rest on his chest. She looked a little surprised at the contact. Harry ran a hand through her bright shiny hair. "I'm glad this came back when we got rid of Tom. Do you want to talk about him now?"

"Speaking of Tom, do you know your scar is'nt quite so prominent now?"

Harry reached up and carefully touched thelightning bolt that had been his constant companion since he was one year old. He was surprised to feel that it was not nearly so tender nor so raised up from his forehead.

"It was awful watching the blood and that awful mist explode out of your head like that Harry. Tom must have just headed for the nearest person. And that was Hermione."

"Nice change of topic Ginny but do you want to talk about Riddle now?"

"Not right now but I promise I'll try tomorrow. I've got some sorting and thinking to do about all that first."

Ginny was surprised when Hermione joined in the pile and plastered herself against her back. Hermione just spoke quietly in her ear. "Just remember this - you aren't alone. Not now and in the future – you have us and we'll do anything to help you."

The girl in the middle smiled and mentally let the other two how happy she was about that fact. Harry reached far up to hold Hermione as best he could and rocked the pair a little side to side. When they both giggled, Harry rocked them both a little harder from side to side and then said he couldn't hold their balance. The trio toppled over to one side and then Harry rolled over so that he was on top of the pair and looking down at their smiling faces.

"Get off of me you big lug!" Ginny backed up her complaint by slapping Harry's bum with one hand. It wasn't very forceful but it sounded fierce in the bedroom for some reason.

Harry rolled off so he was lying on his back again. "Husband abuse, husband abuse. Where do I go to register a complaint?"

Hermione propped herself up one elbow to look over Ginny. "It's your head of house I think. Harry how did you know what Tom did to Ginny?"

Harry reached his hand out and placed it on Ginny's stomach for reassurance. "I was looking down at her out by the window and suddenly had this memory of Tom standing over her in her mind and threatening her."

"With what?" Hermione asked.

Harry saw Ginny flinch at those words and rubbed her stomach a little. "That's Ginny question to answer when she wants but I think the more important question is whose memory that was. I don't remember a lot of that mind or memory sharing we had the other night but I do remember seeing and hearing some things that were very different."

"In what way Harry?" Ginny had sat up as young man tried explaining himself.

"It wasn't things that came from any of the three of us. It was somebody else."

"Harry, what are you saying exactly?"

"I'm not sure but I think somehow we have the memories of Tom Riddle in us."

Hermione gasped in shock and Ginny looked like she might cry. "What makes you think that Harry?"

"I'm pretty sure none of us have used an Unforgiveable Curse on anyone and I remember that happening or being used a lot. I think I 'saw' Voldemort …. murder my dad."

"Oh Harry, I'm so sorry." Ginny immediately reached her arms around him and tried giving him as fierce and loving a hug as she could. Hermione had a troubled look on her face as she searched her own memory.

"You don't think either of those Tom's is still somewhere inside us, do you Harry?" Ginny's voice was very small and trembling as she asked that question.

Harry turned and looked at her and Hermione in turn. "No. I think that the Tom that opened up the chamber is totally gone as well as that older piece that seemed to be in my scar. I think that because he was in the two of us for so long that his memories became part of us."

"Sort of like your ability to talk to snakes?"

"Exactly Hermione. I'm going to have to meditate for a while to identify and separate these memories of Tom – or is it Toms? But if we have those memories, we have another moral question to decide."

"Huh?"

"Whether to pack those memories away and never think of them again or use them to protect ourselves if there are other versions of Riddle out there."

"Shite – other versions? No, please no!"

"I'm with you on that Ginny. But we've seen three already of you count that whole mess with Quirrell last year already-I can't assume he's all gone or gone forever. Unfortunately."

The three were reduced to silence and contemplating a future that might include other battles or run-ins with evilness. Harry was trying to think of something to cheer up the girls when there came a knock on the bedroom door.

Harry moved to get out of the bed to at least stand before he would let Rettus or Llasol in. Hermione and Ginny quickly joined him and Harry decided to answer the door himself. He walked over to the door and opened it to find a nervous looking Llasol.

"I'm sorry to bother you but I was just getting ready to start supper and wondered if you or the ladies wanted anything in particular."

Harry was a little confused at how uncomfortable Llasol seemed at times around him and tried a smile. "What were you planning on then?"

"I'm not sure how elaborate a menu you would prefer but I was just making a stew and some rolls since we're not totally provisioned yet."

"That's sounds perfect Llasol. Thank you."

"Llasol. Do we have fresh fruit yet?"

"Yes, L… Hermione. Would you like some with supper?"

"If there are enough supplies, I would like a bowl of fresh fruit on the table at all meals."

"Of course, I'll go check the larder for tonight." Llasol turned any walked in the direction of the dining room and the kitchen.

Hermione turned and winked at Harry. "That should take care of that nutritional need." When Ginny asked Harry why he was blushing he just told her that it was something that Hermione shouldn't explain to her at all.

Hermione was going to lean in and whisper in Ginny's ear when Harry suddenly decided to explore the rest of the doorways that led off the living room. He practically dragged a smiling Hermione away from Ginny. But Ginny stood her ground for once and dragged Hermione back the other way. Harry didn't want the tug of war to continue and sank into the nearest chair. "Go ahead if you really have to Nonnie but this really isn't fair."

"You'll think different if and when it occurs Harry. I'm calling wife's privilege for this – it's something else in how we take care of you." Harry shook his head and wandlessly cast another Muffliato spell on himself. He closed his eyes, shut his connections down and hung his head. He didn't want to anything to do with what one girlfriend was now telling the other. That the fruit was supposed to enhance how he 'tasted' if they got to that level of intimacy.

Harry was totally chagrinned and embarrassed at the notion that Hermione had made some deliberate decisions and was now including Ginny in her scheme. It wasn't something he had ever thought about talking about but evidently it was ok by Hermione.

It was five minutes later when Harry was shaken on the shoulder by Hermione. She did kiss him before he cancelled the spell on himself but he didn't dare to look at Ginny when he stood up. She was very red in the face he noticed when they passed by a mirror and Ginny kept transferring her gaze from Harry to Hermione as if she was trying to figure out if Hermione was pranking her. Harry hoped he would be able to talk to her by herself sometime later and telling her it was something he would never request of her.

Two of the other doors off the common area led to smaller bedrooms that each contained a bathroom with only a shower for washing facilities. The third door led to a longer tunnel that opened to a storeroom of some sort. There was some furniture and a lot of closed boxes but Harry thought that investigating the storage room would be a task for another day.

Ginny asked to go back to the window sofa and hoped they could wait there until supper was ready. She was disappointed to see that the divers and the rubber raft were gone but they did get a chance to see one of the playful dolphins leap totally out of the water and dive back straight down. Ginny was laughing and wondering if they could get out of the Lair tomorrow and get a closer look at the sleek animals. Harry thought that a few hours of fresh air and sunlight would be a nice change for all of them. He made a mental note to ask Llasol how one got outside over supper.

They had just started to smell the stew and fresh rolls when Rettus popped back into the common room. The little house elf put down a box he had been carrying and walked over to the sofa. Harry stood up but the girls were holding their breath, waiting for what Rettus had to say.

"It took a while to track down and I had to make three of four stops in my search. I think this is what you were looking for. It was at Hogwarts that I found the reference you were all seeking."

Rettus held out a large envelope and Harry noticed that his hand was shaking when he took it. "Thank you Rettus." The house elf did a very small bow and waked off toward the kitchen.

Harry looked at the plain envelope and sat down between Ginny and Hermione. "Here goes nothing." Both girls looked over his shoulder as he opened the packet and dumped out the contents.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – To the Heights

They had just started to smell the stew and fresh rolls when Rettus popped back into the common room. The little house elf put down a box he had been carrying and walked over to the sofa. Harry stood up but the girls were holding their breath, waiting for what Rettus had to say.

"It took a while to track down and I had to make three or four stops in my search. I think this is what you were looking for. It was at Hogwarts that I found the answer you were all seeking."

Rettus held out a large envelope and Harry noticed that his hand was shaking when he took it. "Thank you Rettus." The house elf did a very small bow and waked off toward the kitchen.

Harry looked at the plain envelope and sat down between Ginny and Hermione. "Here goes nothing." Both girls looked over his shoulder as he opened the packet and dumped out the contents.

There were three white envelopes that simply had their names printed on the front. Harry handed the other two to the girls and just stared at the one that had his name on it.

"You open yours' first Harry. We'll see if it's good or bad news."

Harry took a second to try and settle his nerves. This simple piece of paper counted for so much and not just for him. He cast a quick gaze at his best friends who were as nervous, scared and hopeful as he was. No more delays then; Harry pulled out the white embossed piece of paper and flipped it over to read it. And then there was shouting, a lot of shouting and Harry suddenly had trouble reading the announcement through his teary eyes.

_**The Ministry of Magic (Bureau of Magical Licenses) **_

_**Offers Its Congratulations and Recognition**_

_** To the Official Union and Marriage Between **_

_**Hermione Jane Granger **_

_**Harry James Potter **_

_**Ginevra Molly Weasley**_

_**Recorded this 29**__**th**__** day of May, 1993**_

Rettus and Llasol came running out after hearing all the shouting from the new master and his ladies and actually had trouble finding him. Harry was covered up in a tangle of arms and legs from the girls who had jumped him after reading the official notification. Harry finally noticed that the two elves were staring at the happy group a little anxiously. "It's great news. We are officially married in the eyes of the Ministry of Magic."

"They only had to ask us. We could see the bond between the three of you."

Harry nodded but tried explaining his need to have some official endorsement. "We felt it also but we three need to have the Ministry formally recognize it because of our ages."

"Congratulations then Harry. You also Ginny and Hermione. May you have a long and happy life together."

"My well wishes also. I have something else to add to Llasol's. There is something for you in the box over there Lady Hermione. I could not leave something of yours behind on your bed."

"Harry my envelope! My name changed from Weasley to Potter on it after you opened and read your announcement."

"Mine too Jamie."

"Yours changed from Weasley to Potter Hermione? That's very odd."

"You goof." Hermione slapped Harry on the stomach and he curled up as if he had been really punched. "More spouse abuse. Ginny help."

"Not on your life Harry. You'd best get our names straight or your in big trouble. With both of us."

Harry grinned and held out both his hands for holding. Hermione led the others walked over to the box together. "Mrs. Potter; I really like the sound of that Harry."

"I like it twice as much Hermione because I can now call you and Ginny that every day from now on."

Ginny pinched Harry's butt as Hermione went to lift the box up and open it. "I don't want to be called that all the time husband-of-mine."

"Crookshanks! Rettus brought my cat." Hermione turned around and spotted the house elf standing by the door to the dining room. "Harry, can you cover me like you did before?"

Harry nodded and watched as Hermione handed the big orange ball of fluff to Ginny. Hermione hurried over and stood in front of the male caretaker. "Would it be totally improper of me to give you a hug Rettus?"

"Of course Lady Hermione. But you are one of the mistresses of the Lair though."

"Good, then I won't get into trouble for doing this then." Hermione knelt down and enfolded the astonished house elf in a gentle hug. "Thank you Rettus; you brought my kneazle here. I can't tell you how much this means to me."

"All of your announcements were lying on your beds. Your pet was insistent about guarding yours from me. He was also pretty clear in his intention to come with me when I said I was coming back to see you."

"It would take someone special to recognize it was my pet though. A friend; I hope you'll consider me your friend now Rettus because I consider you and Llasol friends to the three of us."

Harry wasn't sure if a house elf could blush. The words Hermione said had caused Rettus to drop his mouth open in shock. Llasol announced that supper was ready so he was spared any further embarrassment other than Harry saying 'Thank you' to him. Ginny had put Crookshanks down on the floor and he had walked over to rub himself against Rettus' legs before following the three humans into the dining room.

Crookshanks decided to sprawl himself across the feet of Hermione and Harry under the table. He looked down a little dubiously at his foot warmer. "Does he sleep with you Hermione? I know he didn't when we were at your house but I'm not sure if he's your companion all the time at night?"

Hermione grinned. "Yes, but he'll be content to sleep on a pillow if we throw one down for him."

"Good" said Harry. "I've just enough company in bed now." He was a little surprised that Ginny had served him first with a bowl of the stew and Hermione held out the platter of the rolls for him. "The lord of the manor does get some consideration."

"When we feel like it" said Ginny as she smiled. "Don't expect this all the time though."

"I don't expect anything when I'm dealing with you two. Just the unexpected."

Harry felt hands running up the top of his thighs and had to quickly put his spoonful of stew down. He threw mock glares to both sides of him. _**'Not with others present, please?'**_

Hermione had at least the sense to blush a little as she bent back to her meal. Ginny, however, had the gleam in her eye that Harry knew meant trouble for him later.

"I have to teach you how to expand your bond magic before we head back to the bedroom later. Just in case there are some midnight or early calls of nature."

"You can come with me Harry; I don't mind."

"Thanks Hermione but I'll take a pass. I feel bad that I've already intruded into your privacy like that. I feel like you need your own time away from me. I'm not going to insist that either of you spend every waking moment with me. You still have your own lives and goals to go after."

"Just remember that applies to you also Harry. We'll have our lives and our separate things but we'll have goals and dreams that belong to the three of us together. Or separately - I can see you and Ginny maybe flying on the house Quidditch team together and maybe you and I will take some vacations just by ourselves as you and Ginny make have time for the two of yourselves."

Harry hadn't thought about doing separate things with either girl. Wife, he corrected. But it did make sense the way Hermione had said it. "So I take it that it's a Potter family meeting to decide something like that?"

"Always."

"Good then we'll talk about what you and Ginny can do together."

There wasn't a second of hesitation from the ladies. "Shopping!" came the double reply.

Harry hung his head quickly but he was smiling as he did it. He was glad the two were close again after the year they had. He saw that Llasol and Rettus were watching them eat from the safety of the kitchen doorway. He waved at them and they started to withdraw. Harry stopped them and waved them closer.

"We were thinking of going outside tomorrow but wondered if there was a way to actually get outside."

"There's two doorways outside. The one from the dungeon level goes toward the north and the bay and there's an exit from the study one floor up that leads southward to the rest of the island."

"We have a dungeon? That's not good." Harry tried not making a face as he said dungeon. He had all sorts of images he didn't want to think about. Especially after his recent experiences in the Chamber of Secrets.

"So how many floors or levels are there in Griffins Lair?"

Llasol was the one to step forward and answer Hermione's question. "Five or six depending on how you count. There's a sublevel below the level of the dungeons that is just one of the original caves that was the foundation of the Lair. The dungeon has not been used in over a century but Rettus hasn't for cleaned down there for five years at least. There is a combination exercise room and lab for potions and charms on the level below this. You are already familiar with most of the rooms on this level."

"Are you going to allow us to come into the kitchen Llasol?" Ginny asked a little impishly.

"Lady Ginny, it is not my place to tell you where you may or may not go." Llasol looked shocked again as if the idea of the idea of humans in her kitchen was too outrageous.

"Llasol, Ginny has a very good sense of humor and likes to kid around a lot. You will know when you truly offended her because she has a temper to match her locks."

Ginny looked ready to say something back at Harry but the look he gave her made her apologize to the house elf. "I was kidding Llasol. We would just like to look to see if there's anything we could do to improve the arrangement of your work a little."

'_**Good save Gin.'**_

Rettus picked up the rest of the description at that point. "There is a study a level above us with a small library that kept the former lords and ladies occupied on days when the weather was bad. A doorway to the rest of the island of Soay is located there."

Hermione smiled at the mention of a library and Harry was glad there was something that his wife would be only too glad to investigate for them. Not that he didn't want to look for himself but she would dive in and find anything that would be interesting or useful for the three of them.

"The last and topmost level is The Aerie. It is a semi-shielded cave with a wide ledge. There are a couple of sitting benches where one can watch the sunset or sunrise without being totally exposed to the elements."

"That sounds very nice. Can we go watch the sunset Harry?"

"That sounds like an excellent idea Ginny. We'll go up after we grab some jackets. I expect it gets quite windy up there from time to time."

"Master Harry, a word of warning."

"Yes Rettus?"

"I hesitate to mention this but do not get carried away with the challenge of The Aerie. Your father, James, got in trouble more than once for attempting to climb down or up the cliff face. He and his friend Sirius were grounded for five days once for attempting to prove there was another way to leave the Lair."

Harry smiled at the reference to his godfather and thought to add one more item to his list of goals for the summer. A visit to Azkaban; he thought he might have a better chance with a request now that he was an adult.

"Thank you for supper Llasol and Rettus. It was very good."

"A moment Master Harry, there is the small matter of dessert." Llasol waved her hand and a small white frosted cake appeared in the center of the table. "As I understand human customs, it's normal to have a wedding cake after a wedding. I didn't have time to make anything elaborate for you but I hope this is acceptable."

Harry felt the surprise and happiness the just seemed to radiate from the girls bracketing him. "Thank you Llasol, you've done an outstanding thing."

Ginny and Hermione wouldn't hear of either house elf cutting up the cake and serving them. The three of them all joined in in cutting the first two pieces of the cake up and handed them to the house elves. Llasol and Rettus were hesitant to have a piece of the special dessert but Hermione said that they wouldn't eat any until the elves ate some also.

'_**Blackmailing already? Good idea Nonnie.'**_

'_**It's not blackmail Ginny. I just thought we should share this with them.'**_

The three ate their pieces of cake and complimented Llasol on the taste and her thoughtfulness. Harry decided not to press the issue of helping the elves clean up after supper and he and the girls went back to the master bedroom to brush their teeth and grab some jackets from the trunks.

It wasn't much of a walk up to get to the level of the study and Harry had to pull a reluctant Hermione away from investigating the bookcases that lined one side of the room. _**'We'll take a full day to wander the outside and investigate everything in the Lair tomorrow.'**_

"Okay but I'm going to hold you to that promise Harry."

"Good, that leaves me just to hold on to Harry himself." Harry felt a hand drop from his waist to fondle his bum quickly. He looked around quickly but both Ginny and Hermione seemed to be interested in the rock stairway.

The climb up to The Aerie was much longer that the short flight of stairs that led to the study level. It was a full ten minutes of taking steps and occasional turns and twists through the granite passageways before they came to the top level of Griffins Lair. One final turn of the stairway opened a brightly lit cave. One direction led to around a corner to parts of the cave that were hidden in darkness. The other direction however led to a wide open ledge that the three could see a few clouds through. The opening of the cave was about twenty feet tall and about that wide and tapered down to about fifteen feet high through most of the rest of the passageway.

The ledge that fronted the cave was perfectly flat and a rough semi-circle almost 20 feet wide. There was a low stone wall two feet high that provided a barrier to stepping off the ledge itself. There were flat benches at two or three places where people could sit comfortably and see the view. Harry pointed to the one at the apex of the semi-circle and the three walked out and sat gingerly. Harry pulled Hermione into his lap as he was mindful of her unease with heights. It was a great deal of height that Hermione peaked down at. There was only another hundred feet of Cnoc Glas above them and Harry estimated about seven hundred feet of sheer cliff below them. Ginny burrowed into Harry's side for comfort and protection.

"You need to make me a promise Harry."

"What Ginny?"

"That you'll never try to climb out of here in some attempt to be like your father."

"And leave you and Hermione alone? No, of course not."

"Good that deserves a kiss." Ginny leaned in and gave Harry a nice long kiss that had Hermione shivering in anticipation. She waited until Ginny had broken off the kiss and then she just said "My turn please."

Harry was about to turn his head back to capture Hermione's lips but heard a giggle instead. "If you insist Nonnie." Harry's eyes widened just the littlest bit as he watched Ginny lean in and lick Hermione's lower lip before she gave her a big buss right on the lips just like she had done to Harry. Hermione squirmed on Harry's lap which caused a reaction he had no control over. Hermione got up smiling from Harry and held out her hand to him. "Let's go see what's in the empty cave; I doubt a real griffin would have left us out here without defending its home."

"There isn't a real griffin in there now is there?"

Harry shook his head at Ginny's nervous question. He led the two girls back past the stairway they had come up. Harry pulled his wand out and cast a "Lumos" spell. The light from his wand illuminated the high passageway. The tunnel ran for another twenty feet further into the hillside before it made a turn and a little rise to a fairly big opening.

The inner cave was almost forty feet long and about twenty five feet across. There was a six foot wide ledge that ran halfway across one of the longer sides. Hermione had lit her own wand and went exploring in one direction while Harry and Ginny walked around the edge in the other direction.

"There's a water catch basin over here" Hermione yelled. "The seepage from walls goes into a natural bowl that's a couple of feet deep. I can't see where the water drains from there though."

Harry and Ginny walked back to where Hermione was. "It may just flow back into the walls and keeps going downward or out somewhere else. Maybe the air here is dry enough to make it evaporate."

Hermione nodded and the three turned back to investigate the rest of the area. Ginny was the one to notice a pair of wear marks in the floor; there were a pair of small grooves that seemed to run parallel to each other in a couple of patterns across the floor. Harry looked at the wear patterns on the floor and smiled at his friends. "I think this is where the griffin or griffins walked around. The wear marks seem to leave directly to the passageway out or to the back of this cave. There's one that goes directly to the water basin over there also."

"So do you have any idea of how long this place has been empty?"

"No but considering the dust and cobwebs here and there it's been a while. Maybe Rettus used to clean this out from time to time after the flyers stopped coming – we'll have to ask him later."

The three continued their exploration of the lair and Harry's quick eye caught something hidden in a small crevice of the back wall. "Ginny, over there." Ginny banished a bunch of cobwebs as she reached into the area Harry had highlighted with his wand. She brought out two objects that she quickly brought back to Harry and Hermione.

What Ginny had pulled out was a pair of feathers. They were both a deep golden bronze in color and felt very silky to the touch. One was almost three foot long while the other was about half that size. They weighed practically nothing but seemed very strong.

"You could take those back to Ollivander's and sell those feathers so he could make some more wands Ginny."

"Not on your life. These are legitimate souvenirs and the twins will be so jealous that I have them. I can probably get Ron to pay me something just to touch them."

Both Harry and Hermione laughed at the exuberance of their smaller companion and they wondered what the lair would look like when the griffins were actually occupying it. The girls were guessing about the height and wingspan of the magical creatures. Harry was glad that they hadn't had to deal with leftover animal bones or griffin dung while they were walking in the cave. They finished their look around the cavern and made their way back outside.

"Let's watch the sunset from back here. Getting closer to the edge will make me a little nervous."

The three Potters made their way to about eight feet from the mouth of the cave passageway and stopped where they could watch the sun finally set down over a few of the other nearby islands to the west of them. Harry was content to have both girls at his side and they stayed out in the gathering darkness to watch a few of the stars start appearing. Hermione found what she thought was Mercury down close to the horizon and Harry pointed what he could see of Orion high overhead. Ginny pointed her arm out and said she thought the bright light she saw was Venus.

Harry felt Ginny suddenly gasp and then she turned and hid her head in Hermione's shoulder. Harry could see she was shaking and Hermione had brought both her arms around to try and hug and comfort her. Harry placed a hand on Ginny's shoulder and was surprised to see a look of panic in her eyes as she looked back at him.

"Ginny, what's wrong?"

"I just realized Harry – we're really on our honeymoon!"

Hermione chuckled and gave Ginny a kiss on her forehead. "It's okay, it's really okay. Are you scared that Harry is going to ask you to do anything you don't want to do?"

Ginny shook her head no. Hermione tried to figure out what was troubling the younger girl. "Are you worried that you don't know anything about what happens in bed?" Ginny shrugged her shoulders as if she wasn't sure about the answer to that question.

Harry came over and wrapped his arms around both his wives. "I'm not expecting anything from either of you when we get to bed; its super nice just having you both snuggled up to me. And who's to say we only get to have one honeymoon anyway? I'm planning on many honeymoons with both of you so there shouldn't be any pressure on either of you right now. Does that help any Ginny?"

Again Ginny shrugged her shoulders in confusion. Harry looked over the top of Ginny's head and closed his eyes deliberately. Hermione understood the signal to mean that Harry had shut down his mental connection to the two of them.

'_**Ginny – it's just the two of us now. What is really bothering you?'**_

'_**I don't want … I don't want to do or not do anything that would disappoint Harry in the bedroom. I guess I'm scared of being a failure there.'**_

'_**Harry just wants to be loved Ginny. That's all. As long as he knows we love him we can't disappoint him.'**_

'_**But what about…'**_

'_**We'll talk more when we are in the bedroom Ginny. It will be okay for all of us.'**_

Ginny looked up and nodded at Hermione and turned to hug Harry. "Just a case of nerves Jamie. I love you."

"I know Gin." Harry started humming a little tune that somehow brought a smile to both the girls.

"So what's that song Harry?"

"An old pop song that just surfaced in my head. The quiet and peacefulness up here made me think that time had stopped for us somehow. That we could stay here for years and nothing would have changed back there in the real world until we went back."

"So could you grant your wives a special request and sing it for us?"

"Anything for my lovely ladies." Harry smiled and pulled both girls around so he was looking at and holding both of them. Harry's voice wasn't very loud through the song but his tone and the words made both girls feel very special.

_There's a kind of hush __All over the world tonight  
All over the world you can hear the sounds of lovers in love  
You know what I mean  
Just the three of us and nobody else concerned  
There's nobody else, and I'm feeling good holding you tight_

_So listen very carefully, closer now_  
_And you will see what I mean (see what I mean)_  
_It isn't a dream (it isn't a dream)_  
_The only sound that you will hear_  
_Is when I whisper in your ears, I love you_

_Forever and ever_

_There's a kind of hush __All over the world tonight  
All over the world people just like us are falling in love_

_So listen very carefully, closer now  
And you will see what I mean (see what I mean)  
No no, it isn't a dream (it isn't a dream)  
The only sound that you will hear  
Is when I whisper in your ears, I love you_

_Forever and ever_

_There's a kind of hush all over the world tonight_  
_All over the world people just like us are falling in love_

_Are falling in love  
Fallin' in love _(Hermans Hermits – 1967)

The three people took another look around the top level of Griffin's Lair and made their way back down the torch lit stairs after exchanging kisses with each other.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – An Agreement for Beginning

Harry was starting to get anxious. The girls had been very insistent once they had returned to the living level for Harry to show them how he had solved the physical contact problem. It took a little time for Harry to mentally show them how to reach out with their part of the bond magic and keep magically in touch with each other. It took about another half hour for both girls to be able to walk away from the others without experiencing any pain or discomfit.

The three made a final test of separately going to different rooms on the level without any problems. It was right after they all returned to the master bedroom that the girls said they were going to go get ready for bed. They picked some things out of their trunks and the bathrobes and shut down their mental connection with Harry. They left for the bathroom but Harry could still feel that Ginny and Hermione had some anxiety about the rest of the evening. There was also a sense of anticipation and happiness also mixed in there that mirrored Harry's own vague case of nerves.

It seemed like it took forever for Ginny and Hermione to do whatever it was that they needed to do. They came out of the bathroom with their fluffy robes on and towels wrapped around their just washed hair. Ginny came over to give him a kiss and then Hermione wrapped herself around him in giving Harry a hug. "Take all the time you want Harry. There's no need to hurry back because we still have some primping to do. The shower is really lovely. Maybe we can all share it in the morning."

That thought had Harry suddenly grinning and Ginny grabbed his shoulders and turned him around so that he was pointed toward the open bathroom door. They both gave him a push and he entered the bathroom. Hermione was very insistent about making sure the door was closed behind him. Harry took a very long shower and tried to make his unruly hair stand down for once. It was a lost cause but Harry felt better that he had at least made the effort.

Harry was nervous about what to wear to bed and finally decided just on putting his boxers back on underneath his robe. Harry took a deep breath to help calm his nerves before he opened up the door to the bedroom.

"Nox" came out of the darkness before him and the lights in the bathroom went out behind him. Harry took three or four steps forward in the darkness of the bedroom so that he was standing halfway to the bed.

"Lumos tenerum." Ginny and Hermione's voices sounded out the command and Harry was amazed to see that their wands glowed softly from various places around the room. Harry's breath caught in his throat as he looked toward the ladies currently in the center of the bedroom.

Hermione Jane Granger Potter was leaning against the side of the bed so that Harry had a great view of the legs he had had commented on from time to time. The naked legs that just looked so beautiful and just begged to be touched. Hermione was wearing a dark green baby doll that was very sheer. Hermione went up to her toes and spun rapidly in a circle; Harry's mouth dropped as he glimpsed her tush just for a second and then her breasts shook just little as she came back to a stop.

The sound of a throat being cleared caused Harry to refocus his eyes to the person lying flat on her stomach on the bed. Ginevra Molly Weasley Potter was smiling at Harry with a look of absolute delight on her face. She was wearing a dark blue piece of lace that showed more than it concealed. Harry saw that there was another small piece of lace that she was wearing as her knickers that did nothing to hide Ginny's bum except for a small triangle that didn't cover much of her bottom. The two girls were about two feet apart from each other but Ginny and Hermione were touching hands just on the edge of the bed.

Harry had no memory of the steps he must have taken to get to the side of the bed but he was suddenly there and kissing Hermione gently on the lips. Ginny had moved to sit up on her heels and she moved forward to grasp Harry's face and slowly pulled him away from Hermione so that she could also kiss him.

Both girls noticed that Harry seemed to be in shock and reached for him quickly to bury him in a three way hug. "I'm just happy- you are both so lovely that I'm not sure whether I'm dreaming or not. Are we all really here?"

'_**Yes Harry. All three of us are here together.'**_

'_**It's no dream Harry.'**_

Ginny climbed off the bed and reached for the belt that held Harry's robe closed. She hesitated a second and then untied it and slipped the robe off his shoulders to fall to the floor. She then looked up at Harry and stepped close to bring her body fully in contact with his. Harry moved a hand to gently ruffle her hair and bent down to kiss her gently on the cheek. Hermione reached around from the back of him and Harry felt her breasts and the rest of her body mold itself to his back. She kissed Harry on the back of the neck and nuzzled herself into his shoulder blade.

"Please take us to bed Mr. Potter." Harry shivered at the words and Hermione released him from her hold. Harry turned and brought Hermione in for a close hug and a kiss to her lips and Ginny ran her hands over his back and around to hold his stomach.

Harry turned back around and put his hands around Ginny's waist and boosted her up to sit on the edge of the bed. She smiled and held his cheek with one hand. "Harry?"

"Yes Ginny?"

"Incoming."

Harry turned just in time to catch Hermione as she lept on him and wrapped her legs around his waist. Harry heard Ginny laughing behind him and he was careful about turning and depositing Nonnie on the side of the bed next to Ginny. Both ladies were looking at him expectantly and Harry was suddenly self-conscious about the two nearly naked females in front of him. He had some idea of what males and females did together in bed but he wasn't sure if what he knew was enough to keep them happy. Or satisfied.

Blushing as he looked at the two girls before him, Harry stammered out his doubts and was gently pulled back into another hug by both the girls. "We're nervous too Harry but we're in this together as you've been telling us all along."

"Thanks Hermione. I'll try not to disappoint you."

Ginny giggled and Harry turned and raised a questioning eyebrow at her. "That's exactly what I was telling Nonnie earlier Jamie. I was scared of disappointing you."

"That will never happen; you have no idea of just how much it means to me that I am to be here with you both now."

Hermione giggled and pointed to the front of Harry's boxers. "I think we have a clue Harry."

"And it's big clue too."

Harry rolled his eyes and flexed his fingers like he was going to reach out and tickle both the girls. He instead reached out and took each girl by the hand. "So what are the rules here? What have 'we' decided is a good place to start this part of our lives? I'm definitely not ready for shagging; it's just not right yet. And I'm very scared of hurting you. It may take place a little further down the road when we're more familiar with each other, but not now."

Ginny nodded at his words. "The rule for now is that we can look and touch each other anywhere just to explore each other's bodies and see what the others like or don't like."

"And it's okay to kiss anything above the waist. And yes that does include these." Hermione lifted up her breasts just for a second with her hands. Her movement brought her nipples up to make a definite bump against the sheer fabric. Harry's eyes seemed to glaze over at the sight.

Ginny snapped her fingers to bring Harry back from his moment of stupor. "But we have a problem Harry. It just doesn't seem fair to us that you are already more undressed than we are."

"And the solution to that is?" Harry asked.

Both girls reached straight up with their arms. That brought four very attractive breasts up a little and thrust them forward. _**'You need to take our tops off Harry.'**_

Not trusting himself to speak, Harry reached out with both hands and gently lifted the sheer blue chemise from Ginny and dropped it on the bed beside her. He bent down and kissed her once at the junction of her neck and shoulder. Ginny whimpered briefly and Harry saw a blush begin at her neck and spread downward across her chest.

Disregarding the notion of continuing on with his attack on a very delicious neck, Harry turned his attention to the brown haired beauty waiting for him. Hermione was almost wriggling in her anticipation of being touched herself. Harry slowly raised the top of the baby doll until he could totally remove it from Hermione's upraised arms. She made no attempt to lower her arms after Harry had dropped the garment on the bed.

"I dare you Harry."

Harry looked over at Ginny's smile and then back to Hermione. "I think I can take that dare." Harry bent down and licked the nearest of Hermione's nipples. The act caused Hermione to gasp and Harry could see the nipple begin to darken and swell.

"That was splendid." Harry looked up to see a twinkle in Hermione's eyes and felt Ginny run her hand across his chest. "It's all good from where I can see and feel Nonnie."

"Let's all get into bed then." Ginny and Hermione turned and crawled away from Harry on their hands and knees. Harry stared at the two swaying tushes and hoped his pounding heart would last the evening. He couldn't help himself from staring; he'd always considered the two girls to be beautiful but this was another level he had never even dared dream about before.

"I can't even begin to tell you how much I love the both of you right now."

"Are you going to talk all night Jamie or are you going to join us?" Harry pointed a finger at Ginny but she just patted the bed between her and Hermione. Harry got on the bed and moved toward the headboard but stopped when he was about to knee level to both girls. He gave his glasses to Hermione who turned to place them on the bed stand.

"Problem husband?"

"Just admiring the exceptional view from this part of the bed." Harry ran a hand up Nonnie's leg and then did the same for Ginny. Both smiles encouraged him to repeat the action and then both girls sat up and reached for him.

Harry brought both girls close and enjoyed the feeling of holding them both at the same time. He ran his hands up and down their backs and then dropped them a little to run his hand across their bottoms and the fabric of their knickers. Harry thought that it was Ginny that first moved a hand under the waistband of his boxers and reached down and grabbed his bum. Nonnie reached out and brought her hand up, tracing the outline that strained the front of his boxers. His gasp of surprise caused him to hug the girls tighter.

Harry was almost to the point of outright bafflement at that point. He wanted to touch and see everything of both the girls in bed with him but knew he was dangerously close to being overstimulated and possibly embarrassing himself without even touching either girl. He released the girls and they drew back a little for him to lie down in the middle if the bed. The three ended up staring at each other nervously and then Hermione took the direct approach. "Do you want to take off your boxers Harry?"

"Me first then?" Harry blushed a little as he reached for the little bit of covering he had left but Ginny stopped his hands. "Might I help you with that?"

Harry nodded but kept his eyes on Ginny's face as she reached out and gently lowered his underwear. She had her eyes firmly fixed on his waistline as she reached her hands in and pulled the waistband toward her and then lowered the sides of the boxers. Harry had to move his hips up just a little and Ginny was careful about not touching him even accidentally as she removed his last bit of clothes.

Ginny's eyes got real wide as she saw what the boxers had concealed. Hermione reached out and touched Ginny briefly on the shoulder. "We are looking and touching tonight Gin; nothing more – don't be scared of it." Hermione laid a careful hand on Harry's thigh. "Jamie I think you've gotten a little bigger since the last time I saw that."

A nervous Harry closed his eyes. "I could say it was the inspiration from you ladies, which is certainly true, but I think maybe the bond magic has given us another physical boost. Ginny and your …boobs seem a little larger than what I remember seeing."

"I wasn't going to say anything because I wasn't sure but I think you're right."

"Harry, would it be okay… can I touch.."

"Only after we get to equalizing things Mrs. Potter."

"What?"

"Well, it just doesn't seem right that I am totally undressed and you two aren't."

Hermione laughed and shrugged out of her green knickers. She held them out taunting Harry but he reached out and ran a hand down her arm. When Harry turned to look at Ginny he saw that she was hesitating. "It's okay Gin; you don't have to do anything you don't want to do."

Ginny shook her head. "No you're my husband now, if I can't show you what I have then we're not starting this with a great deal of trust. And I do trust you Harry." Ginny lay down next to Harry and peeled off her blue lace knickers and threw them across the room. "There, done."

Harry took stock of the wonderful redhead beside him. She was extremely nervous but determined not to chicken out on whatever happened next. Harry saw that there was a small strip of brilliant auburn hair just above the point where her legs came together. Harry had a sudden urge to see if the patch felt as soft and warm as it looked. He turned on his side however to face Ginny.

"You are so gorgeous Gin." He traced Ginny's collarbone with one hand and then moved it down to center it on her chest. "This ok so far?"

Ginny nodded and Harry ran two fingers around but not touching the breast closest to him. "Do you like that Ginny?"

Ginny looked up to Harry's face and noticed that Hermione was smiling as she peaked over his shoulder at her. She nodded again.

Harry carefully cupped the breast he had been paying attention to and moved it a little. Ginny hummed contentedly and leaned a little further into his hand. "More Harry. Please?"

Harry rubbed a thumb across the top of one nipple. Ginny closed her eyes and then felt it happen again; one thumb across a very sensitive nub. Ginny felt a tingle in her breast and then both nipples were rubbed gently again. Ginny's eyes popped open and she saw two different hands rubbing her chest. Hermione had gone to her knees on the other side of Harry and reached out and across Harry to join him in touching her.

"This is beyond brilliant. I think I'm over most of my nervousness now." Ginny leaned up to one elbow to kiss Harry and then reached out her hand to poke one of Hermione's nipples playfully. "Do you think Harry would care which one of us has the biggest nipples Nonnie?"

"Husband still in the room here ladies."

Hermione pulled back on Harry's shoulder so that he was lying flat again. "You can touch him now Ginny. I think he would like that."

"How… what do I…?"

"I'll help .. and show you Ginny."

"Word of warning - it's not going to take much with all this other stimulation going on for me to…"

Hermione scooted down a bit on the bed so she could lay her head on Harry's chest. "I was a little presumptuous Gin but I've named our new friend here."

Ginny smiled as she pointed. "That has its own name?"

"Yes, I thought since he's going to be special he deserved a name that was just for us to use."

"And it's…?

"Em." Harry had started to blush and felt himself shrink under the scrutiny.

"EM?"

"As in mighty, magnificent, momentous, majestic, marvelous, meaty, memorable, mammoth…"

'_**Still in the room here.'**_

"Good idea but it seems like 'Em' doesn't want to play now." Harry's romantic or amorous thoughts and mood had totally deserted him and he wasn't sure if he should be more embarrassed or upset at himself.

Hermione leaned up to kiss Harry and played with his chest a little. "You get to help him recover his 'good standing' Ginny. I dare you to do what Harry did to me."

Ginny had a strange gleam in her eye when she bent over and kissed one of Harry's nipples and sucked on it. The quick contact jolted Harry and he responded instantly.

"He's ba-ack."

Hermione reached across Harry's body and clasped Ginny's hand and brought it over to lie of the top of Em. _**'Can we do this for you now Harry? Ginny is so anxious to give you some pleasure first.'**_

Harry nodded and leaned his head forward a bit to watch two hands gently explore the sensitive large and smaller bits of him for the first time together. They were gentle but firm in how they handled him and it seemed only a matter of a minute or two before their joint hands caused him to arch his hips off the bed with a small cry and his discharge jumped all over his stomach and chest.

Both Ginny and Hermione seemed astounded at the force and amount of his release. Harry had to quickly stop Ginny's hand from stroking him further. "Too much, too much." Ginny turned loose of him quickly; afraid she had somehow damaged him.

Harry gasped out that he was really, really okay. A few seconds later, Harry had recovered enough to try cleaning himself up but Hermione stopped him from doing that. She leaned and kissed him deep and hard and Harry felt like pulling her totally on top of him but worried what Ginny might think. When Hermione released his lips she took one finger and wiped up an amount from one of the streaks on his chest. She looked at it for a second and then gazed right at Harry when she put it in her mouth to taste it.

"Nonnie!" came from a surprised Ginny.

"It's pretty yummy; Harry is definitely tasty on top of everything else. You should try it."

"Maybe next time – if Harry doesn't mind." Ginny giggled however at the look of incredulity on Harry's face. He hadn't even thought about Hermione's curiosity and sense of adventure. He felt very complimented and told her that. Hermione just smiled and licked her lips again before she cast a wandless cleansing spell on Harry.

Ginny tapped Hermione on the nose. "I do have a question now. When Em is all here, it's definitely above his waist. Are we planning on kissing him there according to our newly formed rules? I'm not sure about doing that."

Harry goggled at the implication but he put a warning finger to each girls lips. "I will not allow that; as much as that would probably be indescribably wonderful, it would only be fair if I were allowed to orally reciprocate."

"Sounds like a topic for a Potter family meeting Ginny. A change to new rules?"

Ginny nodded but moved to fasten her lips on Harry's earlobe. She chewed on it lightly and was rewarded with a fresh crop of goosebumps that she saw rise up on his neck. "Harry, Nonnie's been especially patient and helpful with us. Don't you think we should reward her?"

Harry nodded at Ginny and then sprang up to cross over and settle on Hermione's right side. "Scoot over a bit!"

Ginny helped her move over to the center of the bed by pulling on Hermione's hip. She moved over giggling until Harry began showering little kisses to her shoulder and down her arm. Hermione was a little surprised when Ginny started playing with her nipples. She was flicking each with a gentle forefinger and moving from one to the other and seeing their reaction.

"You're just teasing me Ginny."

"You are complaining? How about this then?" Ginny opened her mouth and blew gently on the little nub that was closest to her. Harry had reached the inside of Hermione's wrist and transferred the kisses to her hip and then stomach as he moved back up her body. Hermione pressed the back of Harry's head gently as encouragement as she squirmed and moaned. By the time he had kissed and licked his way back up to her breast he found out that Ginny was already busy licking the other one. She had her tongue stuck out and was flicking the brown nub lazily.

Ginny winked at Harry as he drew closer to the nipple on his side of the body. "Hermione tastes very good. But I don't think you can put that whole breast in your mouth Jamie."

Hermione's gasp of surprise at Harry attempted that was choked off by Ginny's mouth as it covered hers. Hermione felt a tongue wander into her mouth and wondered if it just seemed coordinated with what Harry was doing to her breast. Hermione felt a gentle fluttering begin below her waist and felt like she might flood the bed at any second.

The sensations and stimulations continued as Harry and Ginny began running their free hands over what they could reach of Hermione's body. Ginny was brushing her fingertips here and there and occasionally reaching up to run her hand through Hermione's locks. Harry had decided that he couldn't put off touching her legs any longer. He was running a couple of fingers across her legs and occasionally reaching up closer and closer to her center on the inside of her thighs. The fact that he hadn't actually touched her where she really wanted it was driving Hermione crazy with desire.

Hermione spread her legs wider in an effort to hint where she wanted Harry's fingers to go. Harry released her boob when he finally touched some of the moisture that had been spreading out of her for the last couple of minutes.

"I apologize Nonnie; I could not get your whole lovely boob into my mouth. I'll keep trying if you'd like. I guess I'm not as much of a big mouth as Malfoy says I am."

Hermione reached down and swatted Harry loudly on his butt. "You ever mention that name again in our bedroom Mr. Potter and I will personally hex your bits off and feed them to you."

"Me too Jamie."

Harry straightened up and kissed Hermione soundly on the lips. "Never again, I promise! What can I do to make it up to you?"

"Just keep loving me Harry. That's all I want. You and Ginny to love me."

Harry reached down and brought his hand up to cup her fanny and massaged the whole mound gently. Nonnie moaned and Harry felt rather than saw that Ginny was kissing her and massaging a breast at the same time. Harry felt very nervous as he ran a finger through the hot and wet cleft between her lower lips. Nonnie bucked her hips as Harry added another finger in running up and down her channel. He was careful not to push too hard and found the little button that she had told him about at the top of her slit. When he circled that with one finger and strummed it like Ginny had her nipple, Hermione moaned loudly and grasped his shoulder. When Harry glanced up to see Hermione's face, she was biting her lip and had crushed one breast in her own hand.

Harry continued on stroking down and up and occasionally stroked across her little nubbin which caused Nonnie to jerk and thrash almost uncontrollably. Harry was fascinated by the expressions of sheer joy and tenseness that were crossing her face and almost didn't notice Ginny's hand moving down to help him.

Ginny forced his hand a little lower and when Harry massaged her perineum, Hermione jerked her hips totally off the bed. Harry spent a few moments reaching in and around that sensitive area. Hermione hissed out a 'Yes" as she tugged on her breast harder. Harry's hand played with the very sensitive areas of her bottom and inner thighs. His fingers slipped through the lubrication and pressed into her cunny, teasing it and loosening it for his fingers.

Harry's index finger finally slipped up and into Nonnie and she screamed in joy as she felt the digit enter her. More moments of stimulation from both Harry and Ginny and Hermione was overcome by a hard orgasm. Harry gently moved his fingers as Hermione bucked and whimpered in a series of small climaxes that followed that. Harry fleetingly hoped the girls had cast a silencing charm on the door before he had returned from the bathroom.

Nonnie finally relaxed as she came down from her frenzy and pulled Harry up to hold him against her chest. She leaned a little to the side and met Ginny's lips with her own. "For once I have no words to describe how wondrous I feel right now. You two are my life now and I could gladly die right here after that experience."

"Uh-uh. That's not allowed Mrs. Potter." Ginny smuggled in to Hermione and Harry's side. "We have many more nights of fun and games ahead of us. Don't we Harry?"

Harry raised up his smiling face and kissed Ginny on her nose. "And this night still has one or two surprises for us all I think."

Hermione was still catching her breath and then started giggling. "This is a nice kind of workout but I'm afraid my belly button is going to get stretched out of shape at this rate."

Ginny was rubbing Harry's back gently with one hand and asked Hermione what she meant. Harry blushed and tried to move but was held fast by Hermione's arms.

"Em has raised his pretty head again and is currently poking into my navel Ginny."

The two Mrs. Potters broke out laughing and Harry took the opportunity to roll off of Hermione's body. He covered up his face with his hands and tried explaining that between touching, seeing and feeling …

Harry's explanation was cut off as he felt a weight settle on him. Two hands grabbed his and forced them apart. A smiling Ginny was kneeling across his stomach and smiling down at him.

"You never have to make any explanations about Em ever again Harry. We like having him around and you can take my word that it turns us on too." Ginny brought one of Harry's hands up and pressed it to her chest. "See?"

Ginny rubbed Harry's palm against her nipple. Harry flexed his hand and Ginny released it to put both hands against his chest. She leaned down to kiss him gently and Harry placed both his hands over her boobs and pushed Ginny straight up again as he massaged them both.

"Isn't Harry a handy person to have around Ginny?" Hermione's quip caused Ginny to giggle which did some wonderful things to her front from Harry's point of view.

Ginny gasped suddenly and then rose up on her knees as she looked around. "Em's a very pokey thing, isn't he?"

Harry hadn't a reply for that as Ginny movement brought her fanny right directly into Harry's glasses-deprived view. "Wow!"

Ginny squeaked suddenly and tried moving but Harry had captured her by her hips. "You have nothing to apologize for either Gin. I think you are absolutely beautiful there. Really."

Settling back down Ginny inadvertently moved a few inches closer to the head of the bed. Harry smiled up at a still blushing Ginny and watched as she finally returned his smile.

Harry released her hips but reached as far as he could and lightly scratched both sides of her bum with his fingernails. Ginny shivered and stretched up in response to that action and Harry was surprised to smell and feel some of Ginny's arousal as she unconsciously ground her bottom across his stomach.

A hand came up to support and rub one of Ginny breasts. "I think she really likes what you just did Jamie."

Hermione got up to kneel between Harry's legs and hug Ginny from behind. Harry could see both girls' faces and felt the love they were all sharing with one another.

"So what can the two of us possibly do for our gorgeous redheaded wife?" Ginny's head spun quickly to look at Hermione's face that was resting on her shoulder. She gave her a quick kiss to the cheek and spoke to the both of them. "Just show me that you love me as much as I love the both of you."

Harry whispered out a small "Nox" and the bedroom was plunged into darkness. The sighs, whispers, and kisses were all that was heard in the room for a long period of time aside from an occasional outcry of total elation.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 – Difficult Findings

'_**Llasol and Rettus must think we've gone totally daft Harry.'**_

'_**Let's try and not give them any more reasons to doubt our sanity.'**_

A late breakfast that occurred because all three Potters had tried and enjoyed a nice long shower together was interrupted by occasional giggles, blushes and outright laughter. The two house elves had looked at the three humans with some confusion and had finally withdrew to the kitchen. Harry had tried keeping an intelligent conversation going but images of naked wives and some of the loving they had all shared the night before kept Harry's happiness bubbling over. Both girls seemed to have similar thoughts on their minds also because they both had a little trouble meeting his eyes without smiling or giggling a little.

A mental threat to spank them caused Ginny to stand up from her chair and walk right over to Harry. She spun on one heel and leaned over just a tad. "Please sir, if I'm a bad girl I should be punished."

Hermione's juice exploded from her mouth but she watched as Harry silently picked up his plate and marched into the kitchen with it. Ginny's smile faded from her face as she turned to look at Hermione. "That was too much, wasn't it?"

"I think so Ginny. It's ok to goof around in the bedroom but Harry is concerned more about being out in public, even like this. He knows we wouldn't intentionally embarrass him but he's worried about how people will look at us. It should be ok if you go say you're sorry."

Ginny went scurrying into the kitchen and Hermione heard a sudden loud shout. Hermione was surprised to see a grinning Harry come back out of the kitchen with Ginny thrown over his shoulder. Every other step he took, he reached up with one hand and playfully slapped her bum. Ginny was laughing so hard that tears were streaming down her face. She was beating on Harry's back but her laughter was definitely affecting her strength.

Harry carried her into the living area and dumped her on a couch before he lept at her and began tickling her unmercifully. Hermione watched for about a minute before she reached in and helped Ginny in tickling Harry back. He kept up the tickle fight with both of them for about a minute before he surrendered and collapsed in a nearby chair.

Harry waited for about a minute as they all caught their breath. "Ginny?"

"Yes Harry?"

"Gotcha!"

Rettus cleared his throat to get the three humans attention. "Is now a convenient time to start the tour Master Harry?"

"Yes Rettus, do we need to get a jacket or anything for the dungeon?"

"No, Lord… Sorry, Harry. I've been down and opened up that level and it's been aired out and warmed up."

"We're not starting at the top and working our way down?"

"No Hermione. You know very well that if we start with the study, we'll get distracted by all the books and never get to the other levels."

"I suppose you're right. Okay, let's go."

Harry followed Rettus down the stairway and they passed by a doorway that was labeled workrooms. Ginny and Hermione were walking together behind him and paused momentarily as if they were going to peek in. "Can we stick together please? I'd like your input too if we need to make any changes."

"Sorry Harry."

"Yes boss."

Harry spun quickly around but Ginny went and hid behind Hermione. Harry grinned and winked at both of them. It was a few more minutes before Rettus passed a doorway that had bars on it. A cold musty smell came from the level and Harry felt very uncomfortable at the feeling it gave off. Rettus however looked at the three humans and then continued his way downward. The stairway narrowed after that so that only one person could walk down at a time. Rettus pulled a torch from the wall and it lit up in his hands to see his way downward. Harry and the girls and lit their wands to make sure they didn't slip and fall.

About thirty steps further down the stairway ended up on rock ledge that had a steel railing around it. Harry and the girls looked out at a cavern that had a small pool in the middle of it that connected to the sea outside. From the markings on the stones, they could see that the tide was out. Harry brightened the light coming from his wand and was amazed to see movement in response. A number of grey bodies diving into the water caused Hermione to clap her hands in delight.

"The seals live and fish here for the summer months and then move on to other places. There aren't any natural beaches on the island so they rest and nest in here."

"Thank you Rettus for the explanation. They are nice to watch but we won't disturb them anymore. Let's move upward."

Ginny was curious about something and asked Rettus as they climbed up toward the dungeon level. "What keeps the air temperature and dampness from spreading to the rest of the Lair? Or anybody else from coming in the cave and climbing up?"

"It's parts of the wards that protect the lair. Master Harry, I hesitated to mention it before but you have to recast the wards on the Lair soon. They are beginning to fail and only the new master can recast them."

Harry stopped in shock on the stairway. He knew what wards were of course but they were not even covered until the seventh year at Hogwarts. He looked over at Hermione who had a look of concentration on her face as she reviewed what she knew. Harry hoped the book cases upstairs contained something relevant or he would have to contact Dumbledore and ask for help.

"Do you have any idea how much time we have Rettus before the protective wards must be recast?"

"I think about a week sir."

"And the wards will have to be recast at Potter Manor when I get there."

"The old wards won't start to fail until the new lord actually arrives."

"Thank you Rettus."

They had climbed up to the dungeon level and Rettus made a hand pass at the door unlocking it. He pushed it open and stepped through. Harry reluctantly followed him and didn't blame the girls for stopping at the entranceway and peering in. The dungeon was a dark narrow crack in the solid rock of the hill; it was only twenty feet wide by about sixty feet long. A closed door at the other end reminded Harry that there was supposed to be a passageway outside from this level.

A few torches lit the eight 4 foot by 5 foot cells that lined one wall. Each of the cells held a bare cot and a bucket that could have held water or something a little viler. Harry didn't dare examine closely whatever instruments were hanging at various places on the walls. A strange anger settled over him and he called on the bond magic to immediately banish everything he saw on the level. A white light swept through the level and the girls felt some form of the Scourgify spell cleanse the walls, floor and ceiling.

Harry leaned back a little wearily and the girls finally dared to come into the space when it had been cleaned. Ginny ran up to attach herself to her husband. "Too much like your old cupboard under the stairs Harry?"

Harry hesitated and then nodded. "There was also some memories and feelings of despair and pain trapped in the walls and cells."

"You could feel that Harry?" Hermione had stepped around an awestruck Rettus to pick up Harry's hand. She leaned into to kiss his cheek and tried projecting her love through the contact.

"I could feel that and it's upset me. I don't know if it's part of our 'powers' now or something that Tom has left in me."

"Mi'lord Harry, do you want to do anything with this level now or should I just seal up the doorway and be done with it?"

Harry looked at both Hermione and Ginny for an answer to that question. Hermione looked around at the empty area but Ginny was still staring at her mate in an effort to see what she could do for him. "Is there wine or other drinks in storage or the pantry Rettus?"

"Yes, Lady Hermione. There are a number of butterbeers, wines and other spirits that the various lords, ladies and guests have brought here over the years. And the fresh fruit juices we've just brought."

"Then this will be the new wine cellar or cold holding area. Please refurbish it to keep things cool."

"And any other things in the pantry or storage that need to be preserved" Ginny added. "Anything else you want down here Harry?"

"No, good idea though Hermione. Rettus, there is no rush for doing this other than maybe cooling off a case of the butterbeers and the juices. It may be a long while before we drink anything harder."

"Whatever you desire. I'll go tell Llasol what has been changed here. Do you wish to continue the tour of the Lair now?"

"Rettus, we're going to take a fifteen minute break. We have some things to talk about and Harry needs to rest for a while."

"Of course Lady Ginny. I shall return in a quarter hour." Rettus silently disappeared and Harry sat down on the clean floor and leaned back against one of the walls. Hermione sat down between Harry's legs and leaned back into him. Ginny sat down across from them and for some reason took off her shoes and socks.

"Feeling a little warm there Ginny?" Harry asked.

"Well with Rettus promising to be away for fifteen minutes, I could take off other things if you'd like Mr. Potter."

"Don't mind Ginny Harry. She's trying to distract you because you are feeling a little stressed now."

Harry crooked a finger and Ginny moved over to set in between Hermione's spread legs so she could lean back into her. The three were lined up in a row and Harry could talk to the two girls without them looking at him directly. Harry found a little comfort that the girls knew that sometimes he didn't want to be looked at while he was trying to figure some things out.

Ginny and Hermione waited. Harry took the time to gather back some strength and calm his rapidly fleeting thoughts. "I'm wondering about else Riddle left me? There was a split second of enjoyment when I felt the pain in here."

"You're not that bastard!" The venomous words from Ginny caused Hermione to start in surprise. "The boy, no - the man that kissed and held me last is nothing like Tom."

Hermione squeezed the girl in front of her and turned her head a little to address her husband. "She's right and you know it Harry. You're not him. The fact that you didn't waste any time in destroying any signs of that dungeon proves it to me. You can't even think of anybody hurting or suffering needlessly."

"No, I can think of one exception. There's a rage in me sometimes to get hold of Voldemort to make him pay for what he's done to me, you and everyone else."

"You don't think that we or others want that to happen also?"

"Yes but… There's that stupid prophecy that I just can't forget about. I've or we have already defeated him. How many times is enough?" Harry hung his head and breathed in the warm spicy smell that he always associated with Hermione. "And now I've got to bother you again to help find out about the wards on this place and how I'm supposed to recast them."

"Harry, this is our home now too. We'd be helping you even if you didn't ask us."

Ginny stroked the hand that was curled around her side. "I'll even volunteer to reduce your stress level again if you'd like Harry."

Harry laughed and tickled the ribs of the redhead. "You're way too willing Mrs. Potter but I will remember the offer."

Hermione chuffed out a sound of disappointment and Harry bent down and kissed her ear. "I shan't ever forget that you are also a very willing companion either Nonnie."

Harry spoke up so both girls could hear him. "But I suppose we should make ourselves presentable again. The tour continues and I'd like to go outside a bit before we tackle the study and start doing the research. I'd like a favor too. I'd like both of you to write a short list of things you are worried about or want to accomplish before we return to Hogwarts in the fall. Maybe five or six things that we need or want to do."

"Separately or together?" Ginny asked as she rolled away and started putting her socks and trainers back on.

"Either way Ginny. Oh, in case Nonnie hasn't mentioned it yet, we're going on a cruise ship with her parents for a week this summer if the adult Grangers are still talking to me."

"Really? Goodie!"

"I'd quite forgotten about that Harry with all the other monumental things going on. And I wasn't sure you would still want to go."

Harry threw a dramatic hand to his forehead. "Alas and alack; my own spouse has already disremembered a romantic getaway in our own private cabin. The poor plight of your husband."

Hermione had already stood and offered Harry a hand in getting to his feet. "Perhaps, good sire, I should offer some compensation to make up for the error of my ways."

Harry waggled his eyebrows at her. "What exactly did you have in mind then?"

Hermione took his hand and stuffed it up under her blouse. "How about that for starters?"

Nodding his head, Harry began kneading the breast he had been offered. A look of shock crossed Hermione's face as Ginny leaned in and really swatted her butt. "Go find a room. Perverts; Rettus will be back any second."

"But Ginny, we already have a room."

"Good, can I come too then?" All three broke out laughing at that point and found themselves in a mutual hug that lasted until Rettus cleared his throat from the stairway. "Is everything okay Harry, ladies?"

"Yes Rettus. Let's continue the tour."

Rettus led the way back up the stairway and opened the doorway to the workroom level. A short passageway split in two different directions; Harry and the girls took the left hand branch and it led to an open doorway. They peered into a room that probably hadn't been updated much since Harry's grandfather had been a lad. Old barbells and hand weights took up one corner next to a free standing bench. A heavy punching bag hung a few feet away from that with a set of boxing gloves. The set of equipment was completed by a very old wooden rowing machine.

"Guess they weren't much into exercise while they were here Harry. There's not even a shower here to clean up afterwards."

"Well, I wasn't planning on doing much in the way of exercise this time around anyway. Guess I'll have to buy some newer stuff and have Rettus or one of the other house elves bring it here."

Hermione had been standing by the door as she hadn't seen much that interested her in the old mini-gym. "Let's hope the charms and potions room is in better shape."

Ginny walked out of the room with Harry and Hermione following her. She made her way around the branch in the corridor to another door. This time the door they opened led to a more up to date facility. There was a bench with a number of different sized cauldrons hanging off the wall behind it. A closed glass cabinet took up most of one wall and held a variety of different jars and bottles of ingredients; the case was much smaller than Professor Snape's storeroom back at Hogwarts but seemed very well stocked. There was a long shelf below the cauldrons that held a good number of potions books. Some seemed very old and Harry saw that a complete set of Hogwarts class books was included in the collection.

Hermione went to look at those books and Harry shook his head in resignation. He and Ginny turned their attention to the other side of the room and saw a setup much similar to Professor Flitwick's classroom. Three easy chairs were set up next to a square table with a couple of wooden chairs. A bookcase with five shelves of books was handy to both the table and the easy chairs. Harry noticed with some excitement that one of the books was another copy of the Master List of Charms that Harry had seen once. He pulled it from the shelf and planned on looking through it thoroughly for any reference to wards. Ginny had found a different book of charms that she wanted to look at too.

When they turned back to Hermione with their finds, Harry and Ginny started smiling at the pile of potions books that Hermione was planning on taking with her.

'_**Hermione?'**_

'_**Yes?'**_

'_**Choose ONE to take with you. This isn't a library you share with other students. These books are all ours. They will be all here if you want to read them.'**_

Hermione hung her head for a second and then looked up grinning. "Okay." She put back most of the books on the shelf but seemed to have trouble deciding between two that were left. Ginny and Harry went over to her and put down the books that they had chosen. Ginny gently removed both books from Hermione's hands and then turned to hand them to Harry. Harry judged the weight in both hands and then handed the heaviest one back to Hermione and reshelved the other. "I just saved you ten minutes of trying to decide which one to take; if I'm wrong you can tell me why later."

Hermione tried glaring at Harry for being so presumptuous but she ended up nodding and kissing her husband on the end of his nose. "That gives me ten more minutes of reading time then. Thank you."

Ginny had found a small tote to put the three books in and Harry threw it over his shoulder as he closed the door to the workroom behind him. Rettus was waiting by the stairway and asked them if everything was to their satisfaction. "Mostly, but the exercise equipment needs to be updated sometime in the future."

Rettus smiled. "That was one of your father's complaints also but he never actually got around to replacing anything. He did throw something called a medicine ball out one of the windows upstairs though when he was thirteen."

Harry chuckled at the image that created in his mind. Sounded exactly like something his impulsive younger dad would have done. Harry's small pang of loneliness was immediately answered by a wave of affection from the two females flanking him. He nodded his head in thanks and looked up the stairway. Rettus spoke up before he took a step in that direction though.

"Llasol has told me that lunch would be ready in about 20 minutes if you would rather take some time to freshen up or read before continuing on to the study."

"Thank you Rettus. It sounds like a very good idea."

Rettus inclined his head and turned and walked up the stairway. Harry turned and looked down toward the levels he had already experienced and wondered about the one level they still had left to explore. He shrugged his shoulders and then followed his wives up to the living level.

Xxxx xxxx

Harry had found that having Hermione and Ginny thumbing through books while they were eating lunch very reminiscent of occasional meals that they had at Hogwarts. He didn't consider asking either of them if they were looking for something specific or just investigating for the fun of it. They would tell him if they found anything they thought was particularly important or relevant to anything they were working on.

They were almost through eating the last of their 'wedding' cake when Ginny closed up the charm book she had been looking through.

"Are we taking turns or continuing on together?"

"I think it's up to you and me. Harry won't mind either way I think."

Harry asked if Ginny didn't want to go on with the tour. Hermione spoke up and said that it was another matter.

Knowing he was going to regret it, Harry asked the girls what they were talking about. The words 'Fondling time' caught Harry totally by surprise and both girls rushed over to pound on his back when he inhaled the last forkful of cake by accident. When he had returned to his normal coloring and breathing pattern, Harry asked Ginny why she had started that line of questioning.

"I'm all for sharing space and time with you and Nonnie, even in bed. But I thought you might rather have some one on one time occasionally with either of us."

"And I'll assume that the opposite is true also; you'd both like some time alone with me."

Ginny nodded. Hermione seemed a little hesitant. Harry looked at her and caught her quick glance at Ginny. "So what do you want to contribute to this discussion Hermione?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all."

Harry took up Ginny's hand and then Hermione's. He brought them together in front of him and transferred their grip to each other instead of him. He pressed them together briefly and then took his hands away. "I will not get jealous or upset if and when you two want time with each other."

"We could invite you to watch I suppose."

Ginny burst out laughing and blushing at that point and Harry wasn't sure if Hermione was serious about the offer. He was sure it might come up again when it would embarrass him the most though.

"If we're done now, I suggest we go get our jackets. It looked a little breezy out there the last I looked."

The three however picked up their dirty dishes and went to the kitchen to clean up the dirty dishes. Over the protests of Llasol who clearly thought it was definitely terribly out of order for the new lord of the house and his wives to wash, dry and put away dishes. The house elf was concerned about the new master and mistresses; their attitude was a nice change but she wondered what the end result might be.

As Harry washed dishes he asked Llasol whether the restocking of the Lair had been finished. She responded that it was stocked up for a week but if they were planning on a longer stay more supplies would have to be bought in. Harry said he hoped that they would be moving on after a few more days.

Rettus came into the kitchen as the three were finishing. He reported that he had finished transferring things to the newly cleaned and christened cooler and was waiting on further instructions. Harry was really uncomfortable giving orders to anyone and looked to the girls for help.

Ginny was the one to come up with at least a couple of suggestions. She asked Rettus to see if he could find a small dining table and three chairs to put out by one of the large windows in the living area and to do an inventory of the storage room 'when he could get to it'. Harry said the inventory was very low on his lists of things to get done but it would be nice to see what space they could clear out or what might be actually useful. Rettus nodded and said he would get to working on it after he showed the three the study.

Harry said that they would be going outside and exploring the island a little bit first and that they would investigate the study when they returned. Llasol and Rettus both bowed to Harry and he returned the bow to them. When the house elves gasped at that action, Harry explained that while he appreciated the respect that he would prefer that they not bow down to him unless they were entertaining 'adult' visitors. The three Potters left the two house elves shaking their heads in confusion.

Xxxx xxxx

The exit from the study level to the south slope of the Cnoc Glas consisted of a long corridor that was interrupted by three doors that were increasingly difficult to open. The last door that Rettus showed them how to open led to the back of a shallow cave that was about twelve feet deep. There were a few bats hanging from the ceiling but the house elf assured a cautious Ginny that all the snakes on the island had been eaten long ago. Harry's lit wand led the way over the rough floor and the all stared out from the mouth of the cave.

There was less than a mile to the far eastern edge of the island. The ground sloped generally downward from north to south with an occasional outcrop or uprising of some rocks scattered across the landscape. A variety of narrow trails wandered through the grasses and scrub trees and Harry pointed out some low rock walls that formed some straight lines and squares in one area next to a rocky harbor on the southern shore.

Harry held a hand out and helped Ginny and Hermione take the first steps down the trail from the cave. There were a number of cave openings that Harry could see as they moved down the hillside. Some of the bigger ones had trails that led to them but most of the smaller ones seemed to be occupied by a couple different types of seabirds. Hermione hazarded a guess that the trails to the bigger caves were made by the sheep seeking shelter from storms or colder nights.

The actual exploration of the entire island took about two hours. Other than the sheep and some squirrels and mice there didn't seem to be any other types of animals that lived on the island. All three found some tidal pools at one lower lying area and tried to figure out if they were looking at plants or animals or one or two things that could have been either or both. The stone walls that they had seen from the cave seemed to be the relics of an old farm of some sort. It was one of those mysteries of people living somewhere and then disappearing. They found some timbers here and there around what they assumed might have been a barn and a small house but it was a little difficult to read the ruins with anything more than guesswork. Harry hoped that whatever family had lived here had just been discouraged by the weather or isolation and had not succumbed to disease or some other calamity. The presence of the sheep at least probably ruled out death by starvation.

Hermione had asked for a small break before they started the climb back up to the cave. Harry pointed out a sheltered corner of one of the remaining stone walls and the three sat down on the moss covered ground. After about thirty seconds Ginny changed her mind and moved over to sit on Harry's lap and drew his arm around her shoulders.

"I think I'm ready to talk now about last year now" the redhead said as she snuggled closer to Harry. Hermione shifted over to hold Ginny's hand as she began. Ginny kept her head down but leaned into Harry or clutched Hermione's hand as she went through her story.

"I've been thinking about this a lot. I can't say for sure where the diary first came from but I think Mr. Malfoy placed it in Josie's cauldron that day we went shopping and met up outside Flourish and Blotts. Remember he grabbed the books out of the cauldron I was holding for her? He walked halfway away and then put the books back in. He must have thought the cauldron was mine. Josie swore she never saw that blank book before then."

Harry growled and tightened his grip on the quiet girl he was holding. Another reason to get back at Malfoy senior. Ginny's voice and manner was very subdued but she continued on. "It took about two weeks after school started for 'Tommy' to start writing back to us girls. I thought maybe the twins or Malfoy was pranking us so I waited one free afternoon watching Myrtle's bathroom door to see if anyone tried sneaking in. I never saw anybody of course. Luna refused to have anything to do with the diary after 'he' started writing back to us. She said the book was swarming with flowzy nooties. I probably should have listened to her."

"Tommy was all friendly and supportive when he wrote back to us. He was considerate and just inquisitive enough not to raise any suspicions. He caught on from one of us that I considered myself 'special' to one Harry Potter. He started concentrating his efforts and compliments on me after that and gradually worked his way into my confidence. I was so stupid."

Harry kissed Ginny gently on the cheek. "Tom Riddle seems to be the ultimate manipulator; he took me in totally when I saw those memories he showed me."

Ginny rolled her eyes and took another deep breath. "The other girls eventually lost interest in the diary or having Tom write to them. I was confused myself and was still trying to find out who 'Tom' really was."

"You were so secretive about the book Ginny. It must have been influencing you a bit even before…"

"That day in Lockhart's class and those stupid Cornish pixies" Harry finished for Hermione.

"I was having fun trying to bat those things out of the air when those two spells hit me. One spell actually went through Tom's diary and knocked me out, at least physically. He wasn't gentle or friendly when he took over control of my mind. He pushed me aside mentally as he tried getting control over everything. He wasn't as strong as he thought he was though."

"I think he underestimated how strong you were instead Ginny." Ginny rested her head briefly on Harry's and then continued.

"He battered at me and tried bringing down my mental shields. He didn't know you and Hermione had taught and tested me that way. I managed to sneak my memories out to Hermione during the horrid rush in the classroom. He couldn't disguise his interest in you Harry; it wasn't natural and he didn't have to pretend anymore. I was just a silly little girl to him with a common fantasy about being Harry Potter's girlfriend."

Harry winked when Ginny looked up at him. "Well, sorry that fantasy turned out so horribly wrong for you." Harry held up Ginny's hand and gently kissed the finger that wore a gold band. Hermione brought her hand up so that the three bands were in her field of vision at the same time.

"It got worse and worse after I woke back up in the infirmary a couple days later. I couldn't chance telling you because I really didn't know you with my memories gone. Part of me also wanted to protect you and Hermione. But Tom kept after me. Every day – every waking moment there was this voice in my head with suggestions and threats and innuendoes. He made promises, he cajoled me, he wanted me to give up and let him take control."

"We had arguments. The tall attractive boy who tried flattery and bribery in an effort to get me to cooperate. He showed me riches that rivaled your vaults Harry. He said I could have it all and give my family all they ever lacked for in the way of worldly comforts. He even promised me you Harry. He said he could talk you into loving me if I would only relent."

"The blackouts started after your duel with Malfoy; it enraged Tom somehow that he wasn't the only one that was capable of speaking Parseltongue. I started finding myself in different places from the last place I remember being. I took to wandering the hallways late at night and waking up the strangest places. Sleep eluded me; it was like I was having living dreams of doing things that I had no control over."

"Oh Ginny, I'm so sorry you had to go through that." Hermione brought her arms up and hugged Ginny where she sat in Harry's lap.

"I woke up one particular evening to find my arms and clothes covered in blood. I was very afraid I had… killed someone."

"It wasn't you Ginny, it was Riddle."

"I know that now but I was scared for myself then. I banished my clothes and spent hours in the shower scrubbing my hands clean over and over again. It was only when I got dressed afterward that I heard about Justin and Sir Nicholas. I was physically sick that I was somehow involved. Tom let me know later that it was a rooster that I'd killed. It only got worse as time went on. Especially after the Christmas holidays. I wasn't much company for anybody as I tried keeping myself and Tom away from people".

"He got stronger and stronger it seemed almost every day. He kept me getting good grades in classes but that was the only time he felt like cooperating. I began getting headaches from the strain of fighting mentally all the time. I was conscious of what was happening but I just couldn't seem to tell anyone. Not Ron, or the twins or even you and Hermione. He had taken control over at least that much of me at that point."

"I managed to beat him down a few times or he went away to do different things and I had a chance to really talk to you. He had started intimidating me for real by that time. Threatening Mom and Dad in my mind; showing me images of what he intended to do to my family and friends when he took over. He showed me Harry broken and bleeding after being thrown off one of the towers. He gave me images of his friends killing and … raping all the muggles in the school. He took particular delight in showing me what he was going to make Malfoy do to me."

Ginny broke down crying and sobbing at that point and Harry felt his resolve harden against the evil bastard. That a boy of young Tom's age would even think of something like that was truly evil.

Harry and Hermione rocked and consoled Ginny for what seemed a long time. She cried for her guilt, her struggles, her losses, and problems she gave to others. She re-felt the hurt she had inflicted on her family and her mates. Harry let her cry herself out and thought she had fallen asleep on his shoulder. _**'That rotten bastard! He tortured and raped her as much as if it happened in real life. I'm so glad we killed him Hermione.'**_

'_**Me also. I wish we could go back and go it again!'**_

'_**I guess I got my wish of the handsome boy wizard rescuing me from an awful beast after all. Lousy way to happen though.'**_

"Ginny!" came from her mates.

"I thought you had gone to sleep Gin."

"The only place I feel safe to sleep now is if one or both of you are with me."

"You'll NEVER be alone from now on. We're both here to comfort and protect you. Ginny, I do want you to think about this though. Whatever happened back at Hogwarts wasn't your doing. Tom tricked you and made you do those things. He was actually doing those deeds himself and using you. The fact that you fought him off and stopped him from taking you over for so long is something I'll always be proud of you for."

"Thanks Harry. Even though he won out in the end and made me do things I really didn't want to do, the fact that you don't blame me is pretty amazing. And wonderful." Ginny looked down to see that Hermione was still weeping in her lap. Ginny ran a hand over her head and dried Hermione's cheeks when she looked up at Ginny.

"I think I'll be better now. I'm glad I could finally tell you more than anybody else what happened to me."

Harry picked up Ginny's chin. "Anytime you want to talk…"

"I know and I love you both back very much." Ginny looked up to see some storm clouds and rain approaching them.

"How about we head back? I could definitely use a butterbeer or some hot chocolate right now."

Getting nods from her spouses, Ginny reluctantly left the security of Harry's lap and helped Hermione and Harry get to their feet. The three held each other in a long hug before they hurried to retrace their steps to Griffin's Lair.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7- The Puzzle in the Library

Three bottles of chilled butterbeer were waiting in an ice bucket for the explorers when they eventually got back to the library level. Harry helped the girls off with their jackets and hung them over the back of the two overstuffed chairs that they sat in. Harry opened and handed each a butterbeer before going to the big desk that held the center spot of the room. As Harry sat in the chair that went with the desk, he took his first good look around the area that served as the library and retreat from the living area.

The room was about twenty five feet square and the outside wall held six three foot square windows spaced evenly across the side. There was a narrow slot carved beneath each window whose function Harry could only guess had something to do with the air circulation. The stairway from the living level came up on the left side front and the climb to The Aerie began on the opposite corner from that. There were two long couches and another overstuffed chair in addition to the two that Ginny and Hermione were currently occupying. All were made of some soft plush material that looked like it might be comfortable enough to sleep on. Small tables with lamps were placed next to most of the furniture so that the whole area or just part of it could be lit up.

Other than the rock surface that fronted the room, the rest of the walls of the study were covered in some sort of wood planking that had weathered to a nice deep tan color. The flooring consisted of a number of grey flagstones that matched the rest of the Lair. One could almost believe that they were in a normal home somewhere instead of an isolated connection of caves somewhere in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Harry opened up his own butterbeer and considered the desk he was currently sitting behind. It wasn't the largest or most ornate desk he had ever seen but it seemed to fit it very nicely with the other furnishings in the room. It was about seven feet wide and almost four feet deep. There were four drawers on each side with a center drawer that didn't appear to have a lock to it. Of course, locks were highly overrated when one could call on magic to seal or unseal anything one wanted to protect.

Harry saw something surprising on this desk that he hadn't seen much of in the magical world. A bible sat on its own little stand on one corner of the desk. Harry could also see a half dozen ribbons marking chapters or verses in the closed book and he stood up to examine it a bit closer. The very proper Dursleys were great believers in religion and diligently went to church every Sunday and holidays. That they didn't include Harry in any of these trips did not mean that Harry hadn't been made aware of the concept and principles of religion. Harry had done a great deal of praying while he had been growing up but only the arrival of his Hogwarts letters and Hagrid had been the first answers to his pleas.

Carefully opening the leather clad King James Version Harry saw that the ribbons marked individual passages rather than certain books or gospels. Harry closed the book up again and let it rest where it had lain. Although interesting there were a lot of other books that he needed to find answers in first. He saw that Rettus had brought up the books he, Ginny and Hermione had chosen from the workrooms and had laid them on the desk along with some paper, ink and quills.

Harry saw that Ginny and Hermione had finished their drinks and were waiting on him to begin looking through the library that took up most of the back wall of the level. There were three separate bookcases, eight feet high and seven feet wide. A half wall separated the library from the door to the passageway outside and Harry saw a small footstool that one could use to retrieve books from the highest shelf. He also saw a small sign in the center bookrack that he took great delight in reading aloud.

"Somebody must have known we were coming Hermione." **'**_**Down to the basics then.**__**Please only read one book at a time and refile it exactly where you took it from. The Outward Hebrides Librarian.'**_

"Guess we've been told" Ginny said. Harry looked at her for a second. He had been watching her carefully since her revelations and breakdown outside but didn't want to intrude too much on her privacy. He was a little glad when she slipped her hand into his to take a look at the books.

Hermione had been walking a little sideways to both catch the titles of the various books and to pick out any specific books that might be there about wards and warding. She stopped after 30 seconds though and looked at Harry and Ginny. "There's no rhyme or reason to this mess. It looks like they just unpacked a bunch of boxes and randomly put them up on the shelves."

Harry took a closer look at the one shelf before him and saw immediately what Hermione meant. Muggles books were interspersed with magical books and there was no common subject matter between two books that were next to each other. Harry saw that there were even a few comic books shelved along with everything else. In the five book group Harry reached with one hand, he read the following titles: The Standard Book of Knock-Knock Jokes, A Sorcerer and a Sword, Anne of Green Gables, The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and The Little Engine that Could.

This was very confusing after the order and neatness of the Hogwarts library. It was especially upsetting for Hermione who was used to the Dewey Decimal System in the muggles libraries she went to and the Rowena Requirement for Books that organized magical libraries. "I could probably take a morning and resort these in some order for us Harry. It shouldn't take too long to find things then."

Harry nodded and took a step back to look at the bookcases again. His eyes opened in surprise. He dropped Ginny's hand and retreated back to the far side of the desk so that he could get a good look at the entire library. "I think we are going to leave things exactly how they are and follow the directions on that sign to the letter."

When the girls threw questioning looks at Harry, he just motioned for them to come join him. He grasped their hands and turned to face the bookcases again. He told the girls to close their eyes for a second and then open them. Harry called on the bond magic momentarily and they three opened their eyes to see something a little eerie.

Magic surrounded and infused the shelves and cabinets of the library. There was a pale blue glow that seemed to emanate from the edges and shelves of all the bookcases and it cast a weird backlight to each and every book in the library.

Harry let the magic fade out and the normal view of the book cases returned to everyone's vision. Ginny cast a worried eye at Harry who shrugged his shoulders. "I have no idea. It could be just a general ward to protect the contents of the library or something more important." He did walk over and plucked one book at random off a shelf to prove it wasn't dangerous to actually handle a book.

Harry looked at the book he had grabbed and made a face. "Beginning Taxidermy anyone? It's got pictures." Hermione emphatically shook her head no and while Ginny didn't know what taxidermy actually was, she felt the revulsion from the older girl. Harry happily replaced the book back on the shelf where he had found it.

"Well another puzzle to investigate. Maybe Rettus knows something about this." At the mention of his name the house elf appeared, slightly startling Ginny.

"My apologies Lady Ginny. You wanted to see me Mi'lord?"

"Yes Rettus. Thank you first of all for the butterbeers; they were delicious. Do you know anything about the magics concerning the library?"

"Only that they are under the control of the Master of the Lair for as long as I remember. This whole level can be and has been isolated magically from the rest of the Lair from time to time. How or why that happens is not something that I have been told of."

"Did it have anything to do with the casting of the previous wards?" Hermione asked.

"Sorry, but I cannot say yes or no to that question? Should I ask Llasol?"

"Yes, that would be good of you. If she doesn't know anything more, then just leave us here for a while. We'll try to puzzle it out for ourselves."

Rettus nodded and picked up the ice bucket and empty bottles. He disappeared almost immediately and Harry said he was off for a bathroom break. He returned from the living area about five minutes later to find Hermione still scanning the book titles but Ginny sitting quietly on the sofa just staring off into space.

Harry sat down at Ginny's feet and was a little saddened to see that she didn't seem to notice him at all. He eventually placed his hand on her knee and she jumped.

"Oh, I'm sorry Harry. Guess I'm just not good company right now. I'm not sure if I should go take a nap or lean on you and have another good cry."

"How about I just try cheering you up a bit?" Harry got up and sat next to Ginny and was suddenly holding his mandolin. Ginny smiled and called out to Hermione. "Harry's going to sing for us."

Harry turned and winked at Hermione who was walking over after she saw Harry produce the instrument. "Actually Hermione and I are going to be singing to you."

"Me?" squeaked out a surprised Hermione.

"Yes, I don't speak French and there's one verse in French in this song." Harry shut his connection down with Ginny and let Hermione know mentally what song he was planning on and what he wanted Hermione to sing.

She thought for a second and then nodded. "As long as it's just for Ginny. Don't expect me to sing for anybody else. I know you'll forgive me because my voice isn't as good as either of yours.

Harry waited until Hermione had sat down on the arm of the couch next to Ginny. He smiled over at both girls and took a breath. Both girls felt a little bit of the bond magic appear and then a saxophone hit a long note and Harry jumped into the fast moving song with the mandolin and his voice.

_Hold on tight to your dream,  
Hold on tight to your dream,  
When you see your ship go sailing,  
When you feel your heart is breaking,  
Hold on tight to your dream,  
It's a long time to be gone,  
Time just rolls on and on,  
When you need a shoulder to cry on,  
When you get so sick of trying,  
Just hold on tight to your dream._

_When you get so down that you can't get up,  
And you want so much but you're all out of luck,  
When you're so downhearted and misunderstood,  
Just over and over and over you could._

_Hold on tight to your dream,  
Hold on tight to your dream,  
When you see the shadows falling,  
When you hear that cold wind calling,  
Hold on tight to your dream. _

(Harry nodded and Hermione's voice took over the next verse.)

_Accroches-toi a ton reve,  
Accroches-toi a ton reve,  
Quand tu vois ton bateau partir,  
Quand tu sents-ton coeur se briser,  
Accroches-toi a ton reve._

(Ginny hugged Hermione after she finished and Harry finished the song up.)

_When you get so down that you can't get up,  
And you want so much but you're all out of luck,  
When you're so downhearted and misunderstood,  
Just over and over and over you could._

_Hold on tight to your dream,  
Hold on tight to your dream,  
When you see the shadows falling,  
When you hear that cold wind calling,  
Hold on tight to your dream. _(Electric Light Orchestra – 1981)

Ginny was smiling and clapping as Harry finished the song. She waited until he put the mandolin down before she launched herself across the couch and covered him in a hug. "That was great Harry. I've always loved hearing you sing. And I do have my dream now." She turned back to Hermione. "With you too Nonnie. Your voice is good."

"That song is going to cost you Ginny. I'd like a proper kiss for it." Ginny was all too happy to fulfill that request.

"And grant me a husband privilege. You and Hermione have called dibs or special wife allowances and I thought I'd ask at least one back for myself."

Ginny looked at Hermione and she just grinned as she nodded her head. "So what is it you want?"

"Are you agreeing then?"

"Without knowing what it is?"

"Yes. But how about this for a condition; if you don't like it after 90 days you can cancel it and I won't complain."

"Well that seems fair. Okay, privilege granted. What have I just agreed to?

"I thought that since we had just spent a bunch of time outside and gone through some rough bits of ground I would make sure you weren't hurt in any way. So I am reserving the right to inspect you for insect bites or to make sure you don't have any ticks attached to you. Anywhere."

Hermione broke out laughing but Ginny's ready grin made Harry think he had thought of something very nice for the both of them.

"And I suppose you want to invoke that privilege right now dear husband?"

"But of course." Harry stood up and held out his hand and Ginny made a show of reluctantly standing up and calling on Hermione for help. "You agreed to it Ginny."

"Big help you are. Jealous?"

"Maybe. I guess if Harry's not too tired from 'inspecting' you, I could ask him to check me out."

"I check you both out all the time Nonnie."

The three laughed together and Harry started pulling a 'reluctant' Ginny toward the stairway downstairs. It was at that moment that something big flew through one of the windows and landed on the desk.

Harry made a slight face as he recognized one of the Grey Ravens than Gringotts used to convey important messages. He called for Rettus again and the house elf appeared immediately. Harry asked Rettus to find some food and water for the bird while he read the letter. Rettus spared a quick look at the bird and disappeared. Harry had removed the letter from the Raven's leg by the time Rettus reappeared with a bowl of water and a plate of food that didn't have anything live on it.

Harry made sure that that the bird was eating and drinking before he sat down in one of the nearby couches. Hermione and Ginny sat beside him and looked at the envelope that just bore his name on the front of it. "This is a little surprising. I was expecting Fawkes or maybe Hedwig to arrive first in looking for us. I guess the goblins messengers can find things even if they are Unplottable. I hope nobody was following it."

"So are you going to open the letter Harry?"

"I guess I'd better. Merlin knows what kind of trouble we're in for our disappearance. I've still got to report to Wrotkill for my staff preparations and training. Maybe all this is just a reminder that I have to report in."

Hermione and Ginny both leaned in to look at the letter as Harry took it from the envelope. When he opened it to read it, all three pairs of eyes widened in surprise.

_**June 1**__**st**__**, 1993**_

_**To: Lord Harry Potter, Earl of Lincolnshire and Fife, Head (and Lord) of the Houses of Gryffindor, Slytherin, Potter, Kaddle, Gladney, and Valcommon.**_

_**From: Ragnorak Foebiter, Head of the Goblin Nation in England, President of Gringotts Bank- London**_

_**Harry (if we may continue on with our informal greetings),**_

_**I offer my congratulations and well wishes on the occasion of your marriages and assumption of the title of Lord Slytherin. May your coffers never empty and your enemies always suffer!**_

_**You and your wives are invited to come to Gringotts at your earliest convenience to discuss the matter of your marriage, inheritances, and newest titles. There are matters of finance and security that may only be resolved by your personal involvement. **_

_**We at Gringotts and the Goblin Nation in general hope that you will continue to conduct yourself as our Friend. We hope we can continue to serve and provide for your financial and other needs.**_

_**Please inform us when you would like to set up an appointment for the important matters we have mentioned.**_

_**Gold flows to the worthy and those that dare to take it!**_

_**Ragnorak**_

Harry folded up the letter and carefully placed it back in the envelope. "Another item for your scrap book Ginny. And I seem to be getting another headache on top of everything else."

Going to the desk Harry pulled a piece of parchment toward him and wrote a short answer to Ragnorak. He folded it up, sealed it and addressed it as a personal letter to Ragnorak and attached it to the Raven. The bird hopped up onto Harry's arm and he carried it to the window to release it.

The girls had watched all this in silence and then Hermione asked him what he had written. "I thanked Ragnorak for his well wishes and told him that we three would be returning to magical England in about a week. We would request an audience with him and Master Wrotkill at that time. I also expressed my sincere thanks for keeping this matter private and not disclosing it to anyone."

Hermione nodded. "That sounded very good coming from someone who just had another shock delivered to him."

"Who were those other three houses you are now the head of?"

Hermione answered Ginny's question since it was clear that Harry didn't know. "I think those are disenfranchised families that Harry got as a result of his marriage and new inheritances. Magical families that died out for whatever reason sometimes aligned themselves with older well-established families in the hope that their name and family line could be re-established in the future."

"And that whole Earl title?" Harry asked.

"A condition of heraldry sometimes hinged on the Head of House being married. It was a condition of gaining the title or taking possession of the office."

Harry swore once. "I'm going to kick great-grandfather Godric out of his picture when we get back to Hogwarts. And then I'm going to kick him right back in again. He could have at least said something to me."

Ginny and Hermione both tried calming their husband down. "He may not have known about it Harry. The Potters may have been granted the title after Godric died. It may just be an Honorary Magical title anyway; nothing to it but just the name."

"I hope so; I'd rather not be spending my and your free times at formal parties or other social commitments. Heaven help us if we have to put up with a social calendar on top of our Hogwarts classes."

Ginny tapped Harry on top of his head gently. "Speaking of commitments, weren't we about to head for our bedroom to take care of a husbandly privilege I just granted you?"

Harry looked up suddenly. "You still…?"

"As long as I get to check you out for ticks too."

"Well, I guess that seems fair. Hermione we'll be back in twenty minutes."

"Hermione, we'll be back in about thirty-five minutes; if we don't have to do the inspections twice."

Hermione laughed at the surprised look on Harry's face and went over to give him a kiss. "Don't let her take too much advantage of you Harry."

Harry grinned and then Hermione turned to Ginny and hugged her. "If you need any help at all.."

"I know who to call Nonnie."

The two girls giggled and Harry wondered if there was going to be a need for a pepper-up potion in his future.

A smiling Ginny led a mildly confused but hopeful Harry down the stairs toward their bedroom.

Xxxx xxx

Hermione looked up forty-five minutes later to see a cheerful Ginny come bounding up the stairway. The grin on her face seemed like it couldn't get any bigger.

"I take it the 'inspection' went well?' Hermione asked.

"Yes, twice for me and once for Jamie. I took my time making a really close and thorough examination of him."

Ginny was starting to giggle when two hands suddenly went around her waist and she was picked up totally off the ground. Hermione saw that she was struggling feebly as Harry had nuzzled his mouth hard into the side of her neck and began chewing on a very sensitive point.

Ginny eventually cried 'Uncle' and Harry set her carefully down on the ground. "I've just thought of an appropriate nickname for our gorgeous redhead here Nonnie."

"What?" came from the two females.

Harry gathered Ginny back into a gentle hug and spoke to both her and Hermione. "Vixen. Think about it; it's totally right for her. A vixen is either a female fox or a feisty woman. Ginny is both and a totally ravishing female; that hair especially calls to mind something of a wild animal. Crafty, cunning and beautiful. That's Ginny – that's our Vixen."

"I like it Harry. It does fit her. What do you think Gin?"

Harry especially held his breath as Ginny thought about her new nickname. "As long as it's just between us and the twins never, ever hear mention of it – I'll take it."

Harry whooped once in celebration and picked up Ginny and swung her around. "Yeah!"

"You idiot – put me down." Harry did what Ginny requested but saw that she wasn't really mad. "And what has my other lovely wife been up to?"

"I looked and found two books on wards in the library and started reading the one I took out. It's a very fascinating subject; starting with the simple Protego spells that we've learned already, the books even describes some of the spells that went into the making of Hogwarts and some buildings in Diagon Alley."

"There must be some complex spells that are on Gringotts and Ollivander's I would guess."

"The book I took off the shelf was pretty thorough. There's primary and supplementary wards. All sorts of help on placements and bindings, runes and shield generation. There are wards for general protection and for specific dangers."

"Sounds like you've found a good source to start our studies, Hermione."

"Do you want me to continue reading Harry? You said something about getting to our 'needs' list.

"How about you take a break and we'll all start fresh on the wards in the morning. I'd like to get some idea of what we're going to do for the rest of the summer first. As much as I'd like to stay here with just you and Ginny for company, I think we have a lot of things to get done before we head back to school."

Hermione nodded and put a marker in the ward book she had been reading. "I have to make a quick trip to the little witch's room. I'll be right back."

After Hermione headed down the stairs, Harry went over to have a private word with Ginny. "Thank you for what we just did."

"You don't have to thank me Harry. We both enjoyed that bit of making out."

"But I never want you to think that I'm ever taking you for granted or taking advantage of you."

"If you're worried that I'm scared or worried about you turning into something like Riddle, you can relax. You are _my_ Harry Potter; a great kind, loving wonderful husband."

"I love you a lot Vixen."

"Back at you Jamie." Harry rested his forehead against Ginny's for a second in their already familiar comfort pose.

When Hermione climbed back up the stairs a few minutes later, Harry was waiting at the head of the stairs. He wordlessly held out a hand and Hermione followed him to the nearest couch. Harry sat down and pulled her into his lap.

"Feeling especially cuddly this afternoon Harry?"

"Maybe, but I'd like a quick word or two with you since Ginny has started working on her list." Ginny heard her name being mentioned and turned and waved briefly to the both of them.

Hermione threw an arm across the back of Harry's neck. "Have I worried you somehow?"

"Not really but I .. I'm not sure about what I'm thinking right now. Part of it is a little guilt for having some time with Ginny and ignoring you. I'm wondering…"

"Yes?"

"I know it's silly but I hope you're not feeling like a third wheel or not as cared about as Ginny."

"Just because I'm not as outgoing as Ginny doesn't mean I don't feel as loved and as special. I do love you very much you know and know how much you love me. Ginny has had a rough time this year and needs a little more attention now. That's okay; she'll pull through and be okay."

"She needs you as much as she needs me Hermione. I'm probably saying this wrong but I hope she and you can regain your closeness and intimacy. In all ways."

"I think I understand what you mean; I think we're okay on that matter. Don't worry too much about us."

Hermione squeezed Harry and just enjoyed being held by him for a few minutes. It was something he didn't have to do but she felt better that he had taken some time to make sure that she was okay.

Hermione finally got out of Harry's lap and said that they should get to their list before Ginny finished before them. Harry went to grab a quill and some paper and saw that Hermione had gone to sit next to Ginny and that the two girls were quietly talking and laughing together.

Harry sat down on and starting working on his list. He had thought a lot about it a lot in the last day or two and found he couldn't just stop at five or six items so he wrote down everything. When he had finished he took another piece of paper and rewrote the list starting at what he thought was the most important.

Finishing much later than Hermione and Ginny, Harry wondered if he should try to get a consensus on what they needed to do first or they should just discuss things as they came up. Hermione asked to just exchange the lists they had so they could get an idea of what the others were most concerned about. Harry was surprised when the two witches pushed their two lists across the desk together so they could look at his.

Aside from a small difference in order, Ginny's and Hermione's list read about the same. Harry mentally sorted them together and saw what his wives wanted to get done:

1. Wards for Griffin's Lair/Potter Mansion

2. Reunion with families; protecting Harry from mothers, fathers and brothers

3. Accommodations at Hogwarts – all three staying together

4. Trip on cruise ship – visiting Bill while they were close?

5. Exploring the bond magic/powers

6. Shopping for school and their new sized bodies

Both Ginny and Hermione were a little surprised at the size and direction of the list that Harry handed to them. While they knew some of the concerns he had about everything, this was the first time he had been more specific about his goals for the summer.

Harry's list:

1. Wards for the Lair and Potter's Mansion – protecting his family

2. Telling the world that Harry Potter was married /emancipated?

3. Surviving meeting the Granger's and Weasleys again – making sure nobody tried separating them.

4. Going to Gringotts to learn about tittles/vaults?/protections?

5. Seeing Sirius Black at Azkaban.

6. Weddings?

7. Making sure we stay together at Hogwarts – Vika?/Dumbledore?/McGonagall?

8. Exploring Tom/ Voldemort's memories

9. Bond magic training/ capabilities?

10. Summer cruise

11. Shopping – new clothes to fit everyone; special clothes for the Countesses?

Harry looked across the desk to see some dumbfounded looks on Hermione's and Ginny's face after they had read his list. "Questions? Problems? Something I forgot?"

Hermione found her voice first. "Why are weddings on your list? We already have the official notice from the ministry."

Harry got up from his chair and came around the desk to sit on it, right in front of the girls. "I may be a bloke and ignorant but we did get married already through some very unusual circumstances. I thought it would something nice for us and your families to have an official ceremony to celebrate. Flowers, wedding dresses, the official cake – the whole nine yards! A chance to tell and show everyone how much we love each other and want our commitment to last."

The appearance of tears was not something Harry had anticipated but both girls were quickly crying and then burying him in hugs and kisses. Harry held them and then realized that they were both happy and sentimental that he had thought of something so essential to every young girl.

"My Mum may actually forgive you for everything else if she has a marriage to plan for" Ginny exclaimed.

Hermione nodded her agreement. "My parents would love the idea of something like that."

"I couldn't begin to imagine not having a wedding and showing off my gorgeous wives. You deserve everything I can give you."

"You are just the sweetest man Harry. But who are these countesses that need special clothes?"

Hermione giggled. "That would be us Ginny; if Harry is an Earl now then we are addressed as the title of Countess of whatever as his wives."

Ginny got an evil grin on her face at that fact. "I can really have Ron and the twins bow down to me for real? This just gets better and better."

Harry laughed. "Don't forget about them having to get dressed up in uncomfortable suits for the ceremonies. We'll talk about everything else on all our lists every day from now on. Agreed?"

The three hugged for a bit and then Hermione grabbed Harry's hand. "We still have a little time before supper Ginny. How about we go snog our husband senseless?"

Ginny winked at Harry. "I've already had some time alone with him today so I'll reward him later. You go have some fun Nonnie. I'll go down and talk to Llasol and Rettus for a while."

Harry sheepishly grinned and let Hermione lead him to the nearest couch.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 – From One Revelation to Another

More days passed as Harry, Hermione and Ginny discussed their lists and worked on understanding and trying to find wards. Harry sent everyone, including the house elves, out on a scavenger hunt after lunch one day to locate and identify any runes that were anywhere in the Lair. To no one's surprise Rettus found twice as many as anyone else as he had been at the Lair the longest. Ginny got a special reward kiss from Harry for finding two runes that were located in The Aerie that the others hadn't seen. Hermione received a special kiss for finding a rune that was hidden by the high tide level in the sea cave. Harry received a special kiss from both for giving out special kisses.

The three continued on with their studies in warding and understanding runes. Harry felt like he would be ready for the Ancient Runes class at Hogwarts when fall finally arrived. Discussions on their wish and need list was part of their days and occasionally ran over to talks at night in the privacy of their bedroom.

A week after they had left the Chamber of Secrets found Harry, Hermione and Ginny being awakened by a very familiar hoot from the foot of their bed. Harry was overjoyed to see Hedwig again but Hermione and Ginny were wondering how the bird had managed to get through the closed door to their bedroom. Hermione got dressed and went to the kitchen to find some water for the snow owl while Ginny dug through Harry's trunk to find some owl treats.

Harry removed the letter from the leg of the owl but waited to open it when both girls had returned. He was pretty sure he recognized the handwriting that was on the envelope. His guess was confirmed as he opened up the letter with the two girls reading over his shoulder.

_Harry, _

_I hope you, Miss Granger and Miss Weasley are all recovering from the horrifying turn of events in the Chamber of Secrets. I've talked to Godric and he confirmed my suspicions that you are the only person who could have wielded his sword so brilliantly. Killing a basilisk of that size is an astonishing feat. I have not informed anyone of your accomplishment although I recognized your improvised signature on the letter you left._

_Using your owl is my attempt to contact you; Fawkes has refused to go looking for you on my behalf. The fact that he thinks you are safe has suggested to me that you and the others are not in any danger and may possibly need this time to recover and take stock of the circumstances the three of you may be in._

_We have continued to search with due diligence for any evidence of your location however. The Weasley and Granger families are most concern about the welfare of their young ladies and are here at Hogwarts awaiting word. I hope you will not delay in allaying their fears too much longer._

_Professor McGonagall has asked me to pass along the reminder that none of her three favorite students have confirmed their class choices for next year. _

_Take whatever time you do need to work your difficulties out but please remember that there are a number of people both young and old that are concerned about your well-being. We hope to see the three of you soon._

_Albus Dumbledore_

Harry closed the letter up and considered replying immediately. With the wards failing, Dumbledore was the one wizard who could help him out the most. He had made progress on the wards and had a general idea of the spells he must cast with the help of the bond magic but he wasn't positive that he could do it correctly.

A hand clutched his shoulder. "Forty eight hours Harry" Ginny said. "Somehow I feel like we are close to finding the proper order and direction to recasting the wards. You want to do this important task yourself – let's try one more push before we call for help."

"You really think we can do this? I don't want the wards to fail here where we've stayed hidden. Dumbledore could help or recast the wards himself."

"We've four days left until they totally fail. Let's try the library again."

"Okay Hermione; we'll try it again. How about sending word to your and Ginny's parents? At least let them know we're all fine? Rettus could carry a message back immediately."

"And have them demand that we return instantly? I think not."

Harry looked at the faces of the determined girls and just nodded. Hedwig had eaten a few owl treats and taken some water. She had flown to the headboard of their bed and immediately fallen asleep. Harry and the girls dressed quietly and made their way to the kitchen to get some breakfast.

Two hours later Harry felt his neck crack as he looked up from the book on runes he had been reading. He had found and translated the runes they had discovered and was still trying to understand the difference between the rune for defense and the one for protection. Harry saw the girls were still buried in their own books and he called for them to take a break. Ginny rose from behind the desk and Hermione stood up and stretched after placing a bookmark in the book she had been reading.

Going to the window Harry debated heading downstairs and getting a pitcher of water or juice for everyone. Ginny was looking through the bible absently as she tried to get her mind off a pamphlet on the history of wards that they had found in one of the boxes of books in the storage room.

"Hermione, were the names that are in the chapters of this Bible real people?"

"For a Bible, those are called books Ginny rather than chapters. The names are usually about individual people or were written by that person who was named."

"The last person to read this bible was pretty organized. The bookmarks are numbered just let you get to the sentences or paragraphs that are highlighted."

"A lot of people have favorite passages in the Bible. It's a kind of a grouping that ..means…something…..signi – Oh, my stars it can't be that."

Harry had turned when Hermione's voice starting changing cadence. "What is it Hermione?"

"Just a hope and a guess right now. What if that Bible is here for a reason and those passages mean something else?"

"Huh?"

"Never mind Ginny. I'll explain as I go; if either of you have any books from the library, go put them back now. Remember they have to go back in exactly where you took them out; I think it's _very_ important."

Harry put the rune book back and Hermione refiled the one she had been studying. Hermione came back to stand by the desk and asked Harry to list the books where the ribbons were placed. Not really understanding Harry flicked through the Bible to the marked pages. "Leviticus, Ruth, Lamentations, Luke, Romans, and Revelations."

"What if those markers and passages aren't just favorite passages but something that unlocks the magic in the library?"

"That needs an explanation Hermione."

"What if the book name, chapter and verse point to a specific book in the library? There's six different markers so maybe there's six specific books we have to look at or remove in order."

Harry picked up the thought. "And the book names mean the left or right bookcases seeing as there no markings for parts of the bible that start with 'C'. But what way do we look to find the specific books that we need?"

"There's that big warning sign in the bookcase about putting things in their proper place. Could that have something to do with all this?"

"Maybe. I've been wondering about that Ginny. It does seem awful out of place. The Outward Hebrides Librarian? The sign mentions 'Down' and 'Outward'. It might just mean we work at it from the top down and the inside out to get to the specific book."

"Let's try that now Hermione. We have nothing to lose and it might work out the right way. But I think I should be the one to remove the books from the shelves."

"Why? We've all touched the books Harry."

"But only one at a time so far Ginny. If I'm really the new master here, it would make sense that I should be the most protected if I remove more than one."

"I don't like this. You could be hurt."

"I really don't think that will happen Hermione. How about you read the reference starting at the first numbered one and I'll just hand the book to Ginny to put on the desk. It should be safe after I take it off the shelf."

Hermione looked at the various bookmarks and turned to marker number one. "Revelations, Chapter 4, Verse 7."

Harry took his time in counting down from the upper left corner of the right bookcase. "Fourth shelf down, seventh book out. 'Potions and Your Household Chores'." Harry handed the book to Ginny who just placed it on the desk.

Handing the book to Ginny, Harry waited for second set of directions. "Lamentations, Chapter 5, Verse 4."

The next book was titled "Everything you wished you knew about Bridge". Harry didn't see any connection between the two titles but he thought they were going in the right direction. When Harry took the book off the shelf there came a hum from somewhere in the room and everyone felt the jump in the amount of magic present.

"It's working Hermione; something is definitely happening with the library."

Harry followed the directions for the next three references (Ruth 3-3, Romans 2-6 and Luke 2-7) and three more books joined the pile Ginny had started on the desk. The hum had grown louder with every selection and the house elves had come up to investigate the growing amount of magic they had sensed in the Lair. The girls made a quick decision and asked Rettus and Llasol to return to the kitchen for their own safety. The elves didn't want to abandon the new master and his ladies but a rare order from Harry made them reluctantly leave.

There was one reference and book to retrieve. Ginny stood by Hermione when she read the last one. "Leviticus, Chapter 1, Verse 4". Harry shook his head. "It just figures; I have to use the step stool to get up to the last book. Just in case this isn't what we think, why don't you two take cover beyond the farthest sofa?"

Hermione turned to Ginny and just smiled. "He's such a dear for worrying about us, isn't he?"

"Yes but he does forget who he is dealing with." Before Harry could say another word, a shield formed in front of the two girls and another around Harry.

Ginny's arm came out holding a wand. "Wingardium Leviosa!"

Harry chuckled as he started rising toward the top shelf. "It's always good to know neither one of you haven't forgotten the basics. But I do wish you'd move a little further back, just in case."

When the girls refused to move, Harry turned back to the shelf and counted out the book he had to remove. The title made as much sense as the others he had taken; "The Three Musketeers".

Once the book had been removed from the shelf two things immediately happened. The hum changed to a loud clang of a bell and then there were crashes as the doors and windows to the library were covered and sealed by thick wooden panels that suddenly appeared. The silence that followed the sealing off of the level was complete. Harry could hear his own heart beat as the familiar sounds of the sea and the birds were totally shut off.

Harry was going to put the last book back on the shelf to see what would happen but Hermione ran up and told him not to mess with what he had done so far. Harry felt the levitating spell being lifted and he floated down to touch the floor again as both girls came over to give him a hug.

"That's part of the answer, isn't it Harry? The library has been isolated from the rest of the Lair now."

"Yes, Ginny but what do we do now?" Harry asked. 'The Three Musketeers' was thrown by a slightly vexed wizard to land on the desk. It collided with one of the other books and both books fell to the floor. Harry turned to apologize to Hermione about his carelessness with the books as Ginny went to pick up the two were on the floor.

"It's okay Harry; no real damage done. I was expecting a little more in the way of results myself. Can you 'see' any changes now?"

Harry and Hermione walked back to the desk and Harry took a breath before he opened up his senses and turned to look at the library again. There was a big change from the last time and Harry described it to the ladies. "The general blue glow that lit up the whole library is gone now. The middle bookcase is outlined in yellow now like there is a light coming from behind it. By the way Hermione, you are absolutely brilliant. I would have never made the connection between the Bible and the rest of the library."

Going to the nearest couch Harry sat down with a sigh. "I'm not sure what to do next. I thought sure you had the right idea about unlocking the secret to the library but it seems we've only come halfway. Or to the next major step. I'll replace the books and open up the level again. It shouldn't take much time for Rettus to ask Dumbledore to come here and fix the wards or start instructing me on how to recast them."

Both girls heard the defeat in Harry's voice and walked over to console him. Harry was tapped on the shoulder and he straightened up; a girl came and sat straddling each of his legs. They leaned in to give him kisses to his cheeks and Harry grabbed them up in a hug. "Sorry this part of things hasn't worked out like I imagined it. I'm glad we've had the time to talk about those things we wanted and to do some of that very nice personal stuff in the bedroom."

Hermione giggled. "Well now that we know how to guarantee our privacy here in the library we could have a few more encounters here."

Harry smiled softly. "That sounded like a proposition Mrs. Potter."

"You can take it any way you want it Harry."

"I'll take any it any way you want to offer it to me."

Ginny giggled and put down the two books she had been holding to start unbuttoning Harry's shirt. Hermione, not to be outdone, turned Harry's head to the side and began kissing her way down and across his jawline. Harry glanced down and saw the spines of the books that Ginny had been holding.

It was about a minute later while Harry was busy divesting Hermione of her blouse that he stopped suddenly moving. "The names" he whispered.

"I'm Ginny and that's Hermione" said the redhead who had just finished taking her own top off in between Harry's kisses.

"No the books we removed. Did you notice the names?"

"Not really."

"There's something about the titles. Sorry ladies, I really don't mean to quit this or be distracted right now. I really like what we are doing but I think I found the next step."

Hermione and Ginny both stood up and reached for their tops and put them back on. "I can't believe I just stopped that" Harry murmured.

"We'll definitely get back to it Harry." Ginny reached out her hand and helped Harry to his feet. Harry grabbed the two books and went back to the desk and stood all the retrieved books up so he could look at their spines.

Harry read the names out loud. "Potions for Your Household Chores, The Three Musketeers, Everything you wished you knew about Bridge, Training your New Hippogriff, Riders of the Purple Sage, Once Upon a Time."

"I don't see the connection" said a puzzled Ginny.

Hermione saw it and got excited. "It's an anagram Ginny. Take the first letter of all those titles and scramble them up a little and what do you get?"

Ginny started counting on her fingers as she mentally mixed the initials up. "Harry- it's your name. Oh no, I mean it spells out Potter."

"Yes but what does that mean now that we've solved that puzzle?"

"Maybe they have to be rearranged in order or placed in a certain location. Or maybe it means nothing and we have to wait for a timer to count down or something." They put them in the proper order to spell out Harry's last name but nothing happened.

"Let's try finding a place for these." Harry and the girls looked around for someplace special to put the books.

"How about the center bookcase where that sign is?" The three hurried to remove the sign and put the books in its place but nothing happened. Harry and the girls were looking around the room to see if there was anywhere else they might fit. Ginny had turned around and suddenly pointed at the front wall. "Those niches - underneath the windows!"

Hermione gave Ginny a hug and a kiss on her cheek as they took the books over to the front of the room. Everyone thought that Harry should place the books in the slots himself and he dropped two in his haste to finish the task. A very nervous boy who looked sixteen but was in fact twelve finally stuck the 'Potions' book in the last slot under the first window and waited.

The three Potters turned to face the library and were amazed to see the middle bookcase noiselessly slide straight up into a recessed space that had been hidden in the ceiling. When the bookcase disappeared a red door was revealed in the space behind it; Harry, Hermione and Ginny walked to the new portal. Harry looked at both the girls before he turned the handle and opened the door.

Lights sprung on as the door opened. Harry and the girls saw a room that was about six feet deep and four feet wide. There were a number of shelves that held more books, a couple of small chests and a few odds and ends. Harry saw the spyglass he had wanted to find on one shelf. A few shelves had their contents hidden by some towels or other sort of covers.

Harry had barely crossed the threshold when a blue envelope came flying off the closest shelf to hover in air in front of his face. Harry saw that it was addressed to him and he cautiously grabbed it out of midair and opened it.

The letter inside was addressed to him but before Harry could read it, the three were surprised when a female voice started speaking. Harry was gobsmacked at its distant familiarity and Hermione noticed that the voice was actually following the text of the letter.

_Harry,_

_If you are reading this letter here, it means that James and Dumbledore were wrong and we are no longer alive. Congratulations, you have done the near impossible and reached Griffin's Lair without the aid of either of your parents. I am sorry you have been without your father and me, but I'm sure we did everything we could to ensure that you could live. Even the cost of James and my lives would be a small price to pay for the amount of love that we had and continue to have for you. _

_You are probably wondering about this vault. Your grandfather, bless his heart, did write down the whole procedure for recasting the protective wards here for when James took over for him. I have also placed a listing of the wards for Potter Mansion inside. We hoped we could teach you ourselves when the time was right but it seems that was not to be. Wards are especially tricky to make this place Unplottable and it may take a one or two complete days to do the job properly. Ask Sirius for help if you need to as he will understand how important this is._

_There are other texts and some Potter family heirlooms contained in this room. Feel free to take and use anything you find and want. It is all yours if you have outlived us._

_Although I do not know how old you are now, I hope you have found someone special to share your life with. I know Sirius has probably tried to get you to behave in a very cavalier manner but love is a subject that should be taken seriously. Your father eventually realized this and was a much better person for it. _

_There are many things a mother (or father) should tell their only son and, when I charmed this, you were not old enough yet to remember and understand any help we might have spoken. I cannot begin to tell you all the things I wish you to know. Trust your feelings in all matters – your heart and your instincts may prove truer and more reliable than logic may be. Be kind and generous with your friends as they will support you in times of trouble. Be fair to yourself but do not get a swelled head about it (like some adults you may already know). And lastly, for this short message, relish every second of your existence; it may be short (but hopefully very long) but it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play. And to gaze up at the stars._

_I wish your father and I could have watched and been with you growing up. Know that we always loved you and you were the very best part of our lives._

_Your loving mother, Lily_

Harry's tears were flowing freely and both Hermione and Ginny hugged their emotional husband as Lily's voice faded out.

"Lily seemed to be a great mom as well as a wonderful person Harry. She seemed proud of you in her own way."

"I wish I could remember more of her."

Ginny moved her arms up to put them around Harry's neck. "You are learning more with every letter and every person you meet that knew her. The same goes for your dad James. I think you were lucky to have them as parents, even for such a short time."

"And they felt lucky to have you for a son; at least they sounded like they were from what I've gotten to know of them."

"Thanks Hermione, Ginny. I love you both. I would like to investigate everything in here but the priority is those ward instructions. Let's try to find them."

All three went to different walls to try and find the important set of directives. It was Hermione that called out as she found a stack of bound paperwork about 2 inches high. Harry and Ginny clustered around her as she held up the tied package and read the note attached to it.

**To: James**

**Son, it's time to test and see how much you remember from those Charms classes at Hogwarts. If you've done Potter mansion already, these should be a snap. Keep taking care of the lovely wife of yours and the new baby. **

**Harold Lloyd Potter**

Harry smiled while Hermione picked up another bundle that was left from that spot on the shelf. "The instructions for Potter Mansion are here as well. You want to take them out now?"

"Yes, but put those for the mansion in either my or one of your trunks. We'll learn what we can now and take on the wards at Potter Mansion when we get there."

Ginny looked up suddenly. "Harry, Rettus and Llasol must be worried to death about us. Can we close this up for now and open the library level back up?"

Harry looked at his watched and saw that it had been close to an hour and a half since he had ordered the house elves back to the kitchen for their safety. Harry nodded and then exited the hidden vault with both girls close behind him. Harry and Ginny removed the keybooks from their places under the windows and the middle bookcase lowered back into place. Hermione refiled one book to its proper place in the library to remove the barriers, magical and otherwise, that sealed up the level.

Two worried house elves immediately popped into the middle of the room and looked at the three humans. "Are you three all right? We couldn't get through the wards that sprang up on this level."

"I apologize to both of you. We found the trick of the library and have been investigating some of the magic that was hidden here. We've found warding instructions so we can start recasting the protective spells soon."

"That's good Mi'lord - Harry."

"Lunch has been waiting for you. And your owl got very upset when the library level got sealed up."

"I'd better go check on Hedwig. She probably wants to see me or go flying. Hermione would you divide those instruction up into thirds? We can read them over the meal and maybe get organized or started this afternoon."

"A little anxious Harry?"

"Yes, I'll admit that I want to do this and do it right. Then we can move on to Potter Mansion and let your and Ginny's families know you are both ok. That suddenly got more important to me."

Harry hurried down the stairway to check on his owl and Hermione turned to Ginny. "That's a little surprising."

"Nonnie, I think Harry feels like it's time to move on. For him that means going to Potter Mansion where his dad grew up."

"Oh, that makes sense now. I thought he was a little reluctant to see our families again."

"That letter from Lily seems to have turned his thinking around a bit. Let's make sure he doesn't get too carried away now – I don't want him hurrying or exhausting himself."

Ginny stopped and whispered a question in Hermione's ear. Hermione thought for a second and then her mouth dropped open in surprise. "He really did that didn't he?"

"And we ought to thank him properly."

"Right after lunch?"

"Yes, and let's try to get the organizing done this afternoon without actually doing any spells unless they are easy. A good night's sleep and we can start fresh tomorrow morning."

The two girls walked down the stairway to see Harry releasing Hedwig out from one of the big windows in the living level. He turned around with a nice grin and whistled as he approached them. "You are the most gorgeous girls here."

"Harry, we're the only girls here."

"Doesn't make my statement any less true though. You are both so beautiful."

"You're in a good mood Jamie."

"Why shouldn't I be? We found out the secrets to the library, discovered the warding instructions and got another wonderful letter from my mum. And I heard her voice – that means so much."

Hermione laughed and reached for Harry. "You've forgotten something then."

"Is there something else?"

Ginny reached up and brought Harry's ear down to whisper in it. "How about the fact that your wives are going to take you to bed after lunch and before we get to the instructions from your real grandfather?"

Harry blushed but put his arms around both girls' waists. "That is something incredibly else. I'm such a lucky bloke."

"And don't you dare forget it." Ginny smiled up at her husband and felt his hand reach down to caress her bum briefly. She wanted to skip lunch now.

Hermione had turned into Harry and reached one hand into his front pocket. "There's something nice here and it's growing Ginny."

Harry blushed and hid his head briefly on Hermione's shoulder. "You two are definitely going to drive me crazy." Harry slowly pulled Hermione's hand out of his pocket. "How am I supposed to walk after that?"

"Very carefully?" asked Ginny. She skipped out of the way as Harry tried to land a swat to her bum. "Missed me, missed me. Now you have to kiss me." Ginny was laughing as she shouted out the childhood rhyme.

It was Harry's turn for an evil grin and he waggled his eyebrows. "Where am I supposed to kiss you?"

"In the bedroom silly."

Harry laughed and held out his arms for both girls to take. The three walked into the dining room arm in arm in arm.

Xxxx xxxx

Harry walked into the bedroom first but went to the bench to remove his trainers and socks. He was still busy with that when another person stepped right up before him. He watched the floor as a pair of sandals were kicked off and a pair of jeans hit the floor on top of them. He was still watching the floor as a blouse and a bra joined the pile.

Harry followed the gorgeous legs up to see Hermione staring at him with just her knickers on. "Please take these off me Harry." The voice was commanding and needy at the same time and Harry wasn't sure what kind of mood Hermione was in.

He did as she asked and lowered her blue bikini briefs to the floor and Hermione stepped out of them. Hermione just asked Harry to stand and she hurried to unbuckle and lower his pants and shorts to the floor. Harry was a little dazed; Hermione had never acted this aggressive toward him before.

"Is there something I should know Nonnie?" Hermione was busy unbuttoning his shirt and Harry saw that Ginny was slowly undressing just behind Hermione.

"Ginny asked me upstairs if I understood your list."

"My…list?" Harry's question was interrupted as Hermione sucked on his neck as she dropped his shirt on the floor.

"It's just…" Kiss to his nose.

"..I didn't notice…" Kiss to his jaw.

"That you put any mention of a certain…" A small nip to his ear.

"…unmentionable Dark Lord **after**..." A lick across Harry's lips.

"…our unnecessary weddings…"

Bending down a little, Nonnie sucked on Harry's nipple for a few seconds. ".. and a lot of other nice things for your wives." She pushed Harry backed to a seated position on the bench. She straddled Harry's leg again but this time Harry could feel the heat and wetness of her middle on his leg.

Harry thought he knew what the frantic look in her eyes was as he caressed her nipples. "And…?"

"You want me to admit it. It's okay; I don't care now if I say it to you. It made me …horny." Hermione looked Harry straight in the eye and used her hands to pull his head to her chest. "Please Jamie, I need…"

He licked and the mouthed the rigid nipple and Harry heard Nonnie groan at the contact. She tilted her hips just the littlest bit and began grinding herself back and forth across the top of Harry's thigh. Harry closed his eyes and concentrated on the taste and feel of the little nub in his mouth as it grew bigger and harder.

Nonnie groaned again and Harry reached a hand up to tease her other nipple. His hand instead met a mass of hair. Harry's eyes popped open and he saw that Ginny had moved and attached her mouth to Nonnie's other breast. Ginny winked at him quickly and turned back to her suckling.

Harry reached around and placed his hand on Nonnie's back to help steady her frantic wiggling. He came in contact with Ginny's hand once or twice as it was fondling Nonnie's bum.

The sounds of Hermione's gasps were coming louder and faster and her hips were moving quicker and quicker. Suddenly Harry felt her shudder and halt. Her hips began again and a series of small cries erupted from her mouth. She suddenly collapsed and leaned hard into Harry's chest.

A small muffled cry came from their midsections and a tousled - headed Ginny freed herself with a laugh. "I liked the contact but I should be able breath every minute or two." She draped herself over the panting Hermione and just rubbed her back gently for a minute while she recovered.

A blushing Nonnie looked up at Harry. "I had to…. just couldn't wait for you Jamie. I'm sor..!"

A kiss to her lips silence Hermione's embarrassment. "It's quite alright. We all took a part in that very lovely activity. I love you Nonnie – you too Vixen. I don't think it's wrong to help each other romantically. My thigh is certainly not complaining about _coming_ in contact with you like that." Ginny giggled about Harry's deliberate use of that word and eventually Hermione joined in.

Hermione leaned back upright and swayed once. "That was just marvelous the both of you; I could feel all the love you had for me. And my body just – exploded like some of your brothers fireworks Ginny."

"We saw. And we're glad we helped."

"But what about you two?" Hermione looked down to see that Ginny's hand was slowly massaging Harry's stomach and drifting lower and lower.

"Perhaps… we should move this up to the bed proper?"

"Excellent idea Jamie. I think Ginny and I should start practicing."

"Practicing?"

"I think we can toss our rule about limiting the kissing to above the waist. You can still tell our parents that you haven't shagged us. That will be the truth. But we don't have to say anything to anybody about what we've done on this part of our honeymoon."

"I am not asking for anything more from either of you."

"You don't have to ask Harry, we're volunteering and giving you permission. We'd like a little more out of you."

A puzzled Harry looked at both of the girls quizzically. He blushed when they both licked their lips slowly and grinned mischievously.

Harry barely remembered to cast a silencing spell on the whole room before both girls jumped him and carried him to the bed.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 – The Wards and Awards

Harry woke up from his nap and frowned as he saw that he was alone in the bed. He mentally called for the girls and they answered from the living room. Harry cast a Scourgify spell on himself and the bed and hurried to get dressed. Walking out of the bedroom he found Ginny and Hermione sitting at the new dining table by the window both taking notes off the set of ward instructions.

"Sorry about that. I didn't mean to fall asleep." Harry kissed both girls and lingered as he hugged each. "You should have waked me up."

Ginny grinned and waggled her eyebrows at Harry for a change. "It's okay; we did take a lot out of you after all."

Hermione didn't look up from her notes but nodded and smacked her lips. "And it was delicious down to the last drop."

Harry sputtered a bit at the picking but eventually just sat down. Both girls put down their quills and came over to hug him. "You were absolutely fantastic Harry."

"I have absolutely no words to describe how good you made me feel in there Jamie."

Harry blushed but hugged both girls again. He eventually let them go and he sat down as they went back to their notes. "So what have you found out?"

"Your grandfather was pretty thorough in his instructions. I think we know about half of the spells already but we'll have to review the new ones and practice the wand movements."

"I was hoping that the three of us could use the bond magic to cast those spells we didn't know Hermione."

"I was thinking about that but I'm not sure we have enough control to be specific enough. We didn't know if you wanted to risk it or not."

"Let's try it on the spells we do know to see if we can do it right that way. We can progress from there or practice until we get them right."

Ginny spoke up then with what she had discovered. "There's four runes listed that we hadn't found but your grandfather located and listed every one here in the Lair. Some of them you actually have to be touching to recast the wards but some you don't. You just have to be close to them."

"Good I wasn't looking forward to getting to that one in the sea cave at high tide."

"We'd warm you back up again Jamie."

Harry smiled as both girls spoke in unison again. "I have no doubt about that at all. Is there some sort of timeline or succession or do we do everything in one fell swoop?"

Hermione looked up again. "I was just working on that. There is a progression of the main wards that have to be cast. Some are base wards that support others and it seems that some wards can't be cast too close together. Something about the magic having to settle in and be stable for a certain amount of time before another can be added to it."

"I especially like the one that says Harry should be naked up on the ledge of the Aerie when he casts the summoning and repelling wards."

"What? Let me see that." Harry jumped up and went around to where Ginny was pointing at a certain passage in the instructions. He growled when he saw what was there and started tickling Ginny. "You wrote that in. I don't have to be starkers."

"Who said anything about you have to do? Hermione and I would just like to see you like that."

Harry rolled his eyes. "I will agree to that…"

Hermione and Ginny perked up until Harry finished his sentence.

"…when you lose the clothes while you're up there too."

Ginny shook her head no but was surprised when Hermione agreed. Ginny changed her mind but Harry just laughed at the both of them. "We do know how to cast Disillusionment charms after all. Nobody will see us anyway."

Harry sat down and asked Hermione how far she had progressed. When she pointed to the pile of papers she had gone through already, Harry picked them up and began reading through them.

"It says here that some of these wards can be cast anytime. Either of you have any opinion about whether we knock them out first or just do them in the order they were listed?"

Hermione thought for a bit and said she would have to go through everything to see how long the list of independent wards were. Harry agreed with that and stood up. "I'm going for something to drink. Either of you want something?"

Both nodded but Ginny crooked her finger at him. When Harry moved over to him she gently pulled him down to kiss him on the lips. "I always want that. Don't ever worry about whether it's okay to kiss me. Unless I've lost my temper. "

"Just so you know, I think you 'taste' wonderful too." Harry winked at Ginny and watched as color flooded her cheeks. He kissed her gently and walked off toward the kitchen.

Hermione had watched the interchange and smiled at the redhead. "Do you think we'll be able to resist him and ourselves until we're really ready for making love?"

"It's going to be…"

"Don't you dare say hard" said a giggling Ginny.

"You're incorrigible, you know. I was going to say it's going to be a daily struggle but I'm not worried about Harry trying to push us. We've been taking most or all of the initiative so far."

"We are going to have to tie him down then and insist when it comes to that point."

"Probably, but that might be fun in itself."

"Nonnie! And you say I'm bad."

Any further conversation of that nature was cut off by Harry walking back to them with a pitcher of pumpkin juice and three glasses.

xxxx xxxx

The three studied the ward instructions for the rest of the afternoon but took a break for the evening meal. Rettus asked how the preparations were going and Harry said he thought they were about ready to start but wondered if the house elves wanted to retreat to the safety of the Potter Mansion. Rettus stammered out that he would not abandon his new master for any bit of personal safety. Harry smiled as he responded that it was something friends might do for friends. The girls watched and thought they detected a house elf blush.

Rettus asked if there was anything that he or Llasol could do to help them. Harry was just in the middle of saying no but Hermione interrupted him. "Rettus can you and Llasol sense or feel the wards? You are the one that told us the wards were failing."

"I can tell when they are working properly. And it is common knowledge that when a new Head of House appears that the old wards start to fail as they were keyed to the last master of the house."

"Then you could check the wards after Harry casts them?"

"Yes, Lady Ginny."

"That would be a great help Rettus. I think we can cast the spells but you could tell us if they are really working."

"I would be glad to help any way I can."

"Good, we're going to study some more this evening and we will try starting first thing after breakfast tomorrow. Once the wards are finished, I think we'll take a brief rest and go on to Potter Mansion."

"Whatever you wish Mi'lord."

The two elves were going to withdraw to the kitchen but Hermione asked them to stop for a second. She wanted the house elves to tell her what their duties were at Potter Mansion. Rettus said he helped work on the grounds and stables and Llasol said she worked with the kitchen crew. Hermione thanked them and watched as they withdrew.

'_**Can we change their jobs when we get to Potter Mansion Harry?'**_

'_**They both have been helpful and patient with us dumb kids.'**_

'_**I have some ideas and we'll talk about it later.'**_

Harry and the others studied the instructions and their other sources for a couple hours after supper and then went to bed. Harry and the girls were content to just do some cuddling and slow caressing before they fell asleep in each other's arms.

xxxx xxxx

Harry managed to sneak out of bed early in the morning. He looked back once when he had finished dressing and saw that Hermione and Ginny had shifted and were spooning together in the middle of the bed. Harry wished he had a picture of the sight but he just smiled and slipped out of the door. A sleepy Hermione found Harry an hour later sitting at the new dining table and going over the notes they had all taken. He was having a rare cup of coffee and there was a plate of scones and toast sitting next to the tea service.

Hermione gave Harry a quick kiss and reached for the pot of tea to pour herself a cup.

"That's little strong isn't it? Nice flavor though."

"I asked Llasol for something a little more lasting as we're going to be busy today. It's a ginger breakfast blend of some sort. Too much? I can ask Llasol to change it."

"No, it's fine. Guess I'm just waking up still."

"Where's Ginny? Still napping?"

"Yes, some mornings she just doesn't bounce out of bed."

"Well, you could try sleeping till a normal hour before you tried waking me up." Harry smiled as Ginny slipped into the open seat with a yawn. "Morning Harry. How's my sexy husband doing this morning?"

"A little nervous but anxious to get going."

Ginny grabbed a couple of pieces of toast and said she would go change out of her robe and slippers. She ran her fingers through Harry's hair before she kissed him but pinched Hermione's bum on the way by. Hermione swung around in surprise but Ginny blew her a kiss before entering their bedroom.

Ginny was back within ten minutes and asked Harry where they were going to start. Harry pointed at the large windows. "Right here in the living area; it's one of the independent wards. Protection from the weather, disillusionment and concealment, temperature balancing and allowing magical creatures through."

"Good creatures right?"

Harry nodded and Ginny went over and gave Hermione a kiss and apologized for the earlier pinch. Hermione laughed and just hugged her back. "You'll just have to kiss it all better later" was all she said with a grin.

When Harry was satisfied that they all had had enough to eat, he called out for Rettus. The house elf appeared and Harry just told him that they were about to start. Llasol came and cleared off the table before anything else happened. Harry had taken the Eye of Horus out of his trunk put it on his arm. He was a little surprised when it fitted just above his elbow now instead of higher. He concentrated on looking at the magic that surrounded the pair of huge windows. What he 'saw' was a milky white film that stretched from side to side and Harry assumed he was looking at the ward itself. It flickered once and vanished for a split second before reappearing.

There was a rune on the outside wall between the two windows and according to the instructions Harry had to be touching it to cancel the ward and then reinitialize it with the proper spells. Harry threw one leg carefully over the rock sill and made sure that at least one of the girls had a hold of his belt while he felt for the bronze plaque. He didn't have to reach too far as the rune was about shoulder level as he was sitting there. Touching the rune, Harry called out 'Finite Incantatem'. The magic flared briefly and disappeared.

Harry straightened up and looked back to the three next to him. Rettus just nodded to tell him the ward was removed. Harry reached out his inside hand and both Hermione and Ginny took hold of it. Harry gathered up the bond magic and reached his other hand back to the rune.

"Protego totalum etium condidi. Sivi acredula voluntatis magiae. Caloris aequatus." Three different spells bound together to recharge one protective ward.

Harry felt the bond magic flow down through his arm and into the rune. He carefully straightened up and climbed back into the living room. Ginny and Hermione asked if he was feeling tired and he shook his head no. Harry turned to Rettus for his opinion and the house elf said that the ward on the window was powerful and complete. Harry expanded his vision and saw that the magic flowed through and around the pair of windows. It 'felt' more secure to Harry's senses.

Saying that it was a success, Harry took part in the three way hug to celebrate. He broke off the contact and said that the next step was to repeat what they had done to the windows up on the library level. On the way up there Hermione asked Harry if they were going to redo the library magics. Harry said that it wasn't a ward but a separate magic and he wouldn't touch it as they understood the combination now.

The work on the library windows followed the same pattern as the ones he started on and was met with the same success. Rettus was surprised to see that Harry or the others didn't seem fatigued after casting such powerful spells so close together.

Harry sat down for a minute after they finished the library windows and consulted the directions his grandfather had left. Wards had to placed at all the access points for Griffins Lair both for concealment and protection. Some wards were anchored by the runes but about half weren't. Access to the Lair was controlled by another set of wards and there were a number of other wards that had to placed and bound correctly before the master ward that made it Unplottable could be applied.

Llasol was placing a plate of sandwiches and a pitcher of cold water on the dining room table as the three made their way down to the next rune and set of spells. Harry and the girls thanked the elf as he grabbed a bite to take along the way. Ginny stopped for a second and told Llasol that Harry would also appreciate some treacle tarts or biscuits if she wasn't too busy with preparing lunch. Llasol smiled and told Lady Ginny that she would work on it.

Work on the wards took up a large part of the day. Some of the wards could be cast back to back but there were times when the three had to wait for periods of time. Harry reread the instructions most of the time but he did take a small kip right before lunch. The girls left him alone but explored the vault in the library for other treasures.

Harry was reading during an afternoon break when Ginny tapped Hermione on the shoulder and timidly held out her hand. Hermione took it and Ginny led her in the direction of the bedroom. Hermione looked back once to make sure that Harry didn't mind but he just smiled and waved them away. When they came back thirty minutes later, Hermione and Ginny were smiling very broadly and covered Harry's face with kisses.

Harry, Hermione and Ginny worked hard through the rest of the afternoon and most of the evening at casting the spells and forming the wards to Griffin's Lair. The breaks and rests became longer as darkness spread and the stars appeared above Cnoc Glas. It was close to midnight when Harry and the two girls trudged up to the Aerie to cast the last of the wards; the one that made the whole sanctuary Unplottable.

Rettus had conjured up a ladder because the last rune was situated over the mouth of the cave. Harry climbed up wearily as Hermione braced the ladder and Ginny provided light with a pair of wands. Harry arrived at the top but didn't even glance around; there was no moon tonight and he wasn't in the mood for a looksee around. He was tired and felt himself getting irritable at whichever of his forefathers had dreamt up this crazy process.

"How's the view from up there Harry?"

Harry turned sidewise but the angry retort he had on his lips vanished. Somehow Ginny and Hermione had a little more patience or humor left in them than he did. How they had managed to get their tops and bras off while he was climbing the ladder was unknown. Harry had to grin though at the sight of both of them smiling up at him while their assets were on display. He was suddenly glad that he had asked the two house elves to stay in the library until they were finished.

"I'm not really sure; I seem to be focused on four points of extreme beauty. I'll hurry up. I can see that you're getting cold."

Ginny laughed. "It's not the cold that affecting us Jamie."

Harry turned back and mounted the next step on the ladder; he could reach the rune from here. He would have to override this one instead of cancelling it and casting it again. Harry mentally checked again with Hermione for the right words and placed his right hand on the brass rune. Harry took a deep breath and gathered up the bond magic. With Ginny and Hermione mouthing out the words with him, Harry cast the last spells to ward Griffin's Lair. "Linquo incognitum invisitatus. Gnarus Potter cognationis."

Magic flared and cast a bright halo once around the top of the hillside. Then the ledge and cave was surrounded by what Hermione would later tell them was St. Elmo's fire. It issued from the rune plaque and went through Harry and to the two girls. Harry shielded his eyes as it happened but all he felt was his hair standing up on end. The discharge or display only lasted a few seconds but Harry thought he heard a voice responding to the magic. The light display went dark suddenly and Harry felt totally drained.

Ginny had lowered one wand but kept the other lit as Harry managed his way back down the ladder. The two girls helped him with the last couple of steps until Harry stood shakily on his own feet again. Hermione clung to him and Ginny wormed her way into the embrace. "Let's not do this again for another hundred years or so."

Harry laughed as he ruffled her hair gently. "Once is more than enough Vixen." He kissed Hermione and then Ginny. "As much as I love looking at your fantastic fronts, you probably should get redressed before Rettus or Llasol come up to check on us."

"Well, only for a couple of minutes. We're way past our bedtimes Mr. Potter." Harry smiled and watched as the girls shrugged back into their coverings. It wasn't as much fun as watching the reverse but it still had its own fascination for Harry.

The girls had barely made themselves presentable again when Rettus and Llasol opened the doorway and walked out to the ledge of the Aerie. Rettus looked around and then held his head up high as if he was testing the air.

Harry was surprised when Rettus and Llasol came back to the three of them and then went down to one knee in respect. "Congratulations Lord and Ladies Potter. All the wards have been successfully recast. Griffin's Lair is fully protected and hidden again."

Not knowing what exactly to say to that pronouncement or to the elves, Harry was nudged by Hermione. "Thank you both but please rise. You had a hand in this also so congratulate yourselves. We are going to get some much needed sleep. We'll have breakfast in the morning and then we'll get ready to leave for Potter Mansion."

Rettus bowed before responding. "Very well…." Harry tried a gentle glare at their companions for the last week. "..Harry, Ginny, Hermione. Is there anything special that you need us to do?"

Ginny looked at her two spouses before she said anything. "Could you make sure we have some safe and comfortable containers for Hedwig and Crookshanks? We wouldn't want to lose them after they have come so far."

"Of course, Lady Ginny. We will make sure your pets are comfortable for the trip."

Harry nodded and turned but them turned back for a second. "Make sure you get some rest too. This has been a long and trying day for us all."

Llasol smiled at the trio. "Thank you lord, ladies. Good sleep to the three of you."

Harry and the girls made their way down two levels and entered their bedroom. Pausing only to remove their shoes and outer layers of clothes, the three tumbled into bed and immediately fell asleep.

Xxxx xxxx

The whimpering brought Harry slowly out of his slumber. He was groggy and it took him a couple of seconds to identify the voice and then, more importantly, the words.

"No Tom, I don't want to do that…just leave me alone. You can't touch Harry. I won't, but don't harm Harry. Please, just leave me alone, No! Tom, NO,NO… Aaaaagh!"

Ginny sat straight up in the bed screaming and fought off Hermione and Harry as they reached for her. She skittered away and cowered in fear as she was waking up. She finally recognized the scared faces with her and turned over and covered her face crying.

Harry let Hermione reach out for Ginny first. He desperately wanted to scoop her up and reassure her that Tom was gone and she and they were okay. But he wanted to let a female voice be the first to comfort Ginny; he didn't know why. He was a little scared that any male touch now would be a jolt to her. Hermione let Ginny cry on her shoulder as she tried describing her nightmare. It took a couple of minutes for Ginny to realize that she was okay and she immediately turned and threw herself at Harry. Harry pulled Ginny onto his lap and just started whispering that they all were fine and that she was very loved.

Ginny broke out crying a few more times as Hermione rubbed her back and added her hugs to the care that Harry was showing her. Ginny finally reached and grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled the older girl closer so that she was blanketed on both sides.

When Ginny had finally settled back down enough to talk, Harry asked the question that had been on his mind from the time he was yanked out of his sleep. "Do you have a lot of dreams like that Gin?"

Ginny shook her head quickly but her lip started quivering. Harry kissed her forehead. "It's not your fault if you are and we're not judging you about it."

Ginny nodded and chewed on her lip for a bit before saying anything else. "The dreams are getting better; they are not quite so often now. I didn't sleep much the first couple of nights here; the nightmares were almost constant."

"You should have told us. We would have stayed up with you or talked or just kept you company."

"But it's my problem, not yours."

Harry pulled Ginny's face around. "It's OUR problem. I do understand this. I still have nightmares about being with the Dursleys."

"I… we never knew. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. How about this? We'll continue on with the Ginny sandwich tonight. We'll make sure nothing gets by us even if we have to stay up all night with you."

Ginny smiled at the two. "The sandwich part I'll agree to but you two can get back to sleep too. It was a rough day all around and we're travelling after we get up."

Ginny fell back to sleep under the watchful eyes of Harry and Hermione. Hermione waited for a couple of minutes until she was sure Ginny was fast asleep before she reached out and touched Harry mentally.

'_**Do you think she'll be okay for the rest of the night?'**_

'_**I hope she's got enough reassurance from us to sleep through. I'll stay up and try to monitor her just to make sure. You can go back to sleep Nonnie.'**_

'_**Harry?'**_

'_**Yes Hermione?'**_

'_**You'll tell us about your dreams after we move on to Potter Manor?**_'

Hermione watched Harry hesitate and then nod his agreement. She reached a hand across Ginny's tummy to hold on to Harry's hand. He watched her snuggle into Ginny a little bit to get more comfortable and then she fell back to sleep. Harry watched both his wives carefully for about another hour before the weariness caught up with him and he fell asleep too.

Xxxx xxx

Somebody was patting his cheek. Harry shifted and complained. The patting continued and Harry tried pushing the weight on his chest sideways. "Ginny, move over; it's not time to go yet."

The purring right in his ear caused Harry's eyes to spring wide open. To see the yellow eyes of Crookshanks about two inched from his face. Harry jumped and heard the giggling coming from the door to the bathroom. Ginny and Hermione were watching and drying themselves off after their morning shower. "I asked him not to bother you" Hermione said.

"Well, next time try making it an order. I like your kneazle Nonnie but I've sort of gotten used to other methods of being awakened."

Ginny and Hermione dropped their towels and came running at the bed and launched themselves at Harry. Harry was a little surprised but happy that he had his hands full of wet, giggling, naked wives. He eventually surrendered to the two on one tickling and laid back flat on the covers. Crookshanks took that opportunity to climb up to Harry's chest, circle twice and fall asleep.

Harry looked at the two girls and then at the cat. "Some lord and master I am, just a glorified cushion for an intelligent feline."

"No, that's wrong Harry. You're much more than that."

"You're our cushion too" said Hermione.

"I guess that's fair as I've slept on your wonderful pillows a time or two." Harry watched a faint blush hit Ginny's cheeks and pulled her closer. "Feeling better this morning Vixen?"

"Well, actually it's more noonish now but yes. Thanks for taking care of me you two."

"We're all going to be taking care of each other. Wasn't that the agreement?"

"Yes, Mrs. Potters. I don't mean to be pushy but I have a feeling that…"

A large growl issued from the stomach right beneath Crookshanks nose and he jumped off the bed with a look of total disdain aimed at Harry.

"Not my fault here" Harry yelled at the retreating kneazle. "Guess I'd better go grab a shower and get some breakfast. And thank you but I don't need any help."

"Spoilsport, but hurry up then. We'll lay out some clothes for you."

Harry jumped out of bed and hurried to the bathroom. He waved vaguely behind him when both girls let out wolf whistles. The girls grabbed some clothes out of Harry's trunk and made sure that theirs were all packed up for the move. The last meal at Griffin's Lair was kind of a mishmash of breakfast and lunch. The girls ate well but Harry picked and poked at his meal. There seemed to be a few things distracting him and Hermione finally left her plate and came over to stand by him.

"Something bothering you honey?"

"Honey?"

"You are the sweetest husband I've ever had."

"I'm the only husband you've ever had" said Harry as he pulled Hermione into his lap.

"Before you two start getting all hot and bothered again, Hermione and I have a small surprise for you."

Harry let Hermione go and she went around to the other side of the table. Rettus and Llasol were starting to clear the table but Ginny asked them to stop for a minute or so.

"We found a few things in the library vault upstairs while you were taking a nap yesterday Harry. One of the little boxes we found contained a dozen of these." Harry looked and saw that what Ginny had pulled out of her pocket was a small pin. She handed him one and he saw it was a small golden griffin a little over an inch long and high. Harry smiled and thought it would be really nice to see one someday.

Hermione continued on with the speech that Ginny started. "We thought they were a nice decoration at first and we were going to take two just to add to our jewelry cases. Ginny had a better idea though."

Ginny called for Rettus and Llasol to come closer and they nervously approached the redhead. To their confusion and shock, Ginny knelt down and pinned a griffin to each of the tunics the house elves were wearing. "This is our thank you for helping us out with everything while we were here. It is also your new badge of distinction for being the staff here at Griffins Lair. We're not going to order either of you to wear it all the time but we thought you might like a little recognition."

Harry smiled at the nice way that Ginny and Hermione had thought to reward the two. He stepped up beside Ginny and helped her stand. Hermione came over to flank Harry on the other side and began to clap her hands. The two house elves were certainly overcome with emotion when Ginny and Harry joined the applause.

Harry did say one more thing to the two confused but happy house elves. "Those pins are also your passes to come and see and talk to us at any time. Whatever you need or want, even if it's just to say hello, the three of us will be available to you. Is that understood?"

"You honor us, Lord Harry. No one else has ever treated house elves so kindly. We thank you."

Rettus and Llasol bowed and hurried back to clear the rest of the table up. Harry turned and thanked the girls for thinking of something so kind for the house elves. Ginny and Hermione curtseyed to their husband and straightened up with a grin. "The surprises aren't quite over yet Harry. Your brainier wife thought of something else."

Hermione swatted Ginny gently on the arm. "You would have thought of it, given a few more minutes."

"Ladies, what is the surprise?"

Ginny took the griffin pin out of Harry's hand and pinned it to the collar of his shirt. "This is now a non-emergency portkey back to here. We found the instructions in one of all those books we had been looking at. Hermione and I have already pinned a griffin to ourselves for emergencies or just visiting. We thought you wouldn't mind a visible reminder of our time here."

"That's just perfect. I couldn't think of a better present for the both of you to give me."

Ginny smiled and batted her eyes at Harry. "Does that mean you don't want to search us later and find out where we put those pins?"

Harry laughed and the girls joined in. They all went and sat at the couch by the big picture window and just looked out at the scenery and talked about the days they had spent together.

Two hours later, everybody and everything was packed up and ready to depart. Harry and the girls watched as Rettus and Llasol disappeared with their shrunken trunks and other belongings. Rettus had previously taken Crookshanks and Hedwig in her cage to their new home.

Harry kissed both Hermione and Ginny before taking up their hands. He smiled at both of them a little nervously. "Ready for the next little chapter in our madhouse of a marriage?"

When they nodded Harry gripped their hands a little tighter and activated his other portkey. A cry of "Potter Manor" rang out and then silence once again reigned at Griffin's Lair.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 – Knop objects

Harry had thought he was really ready for the next time he traveled by magical means. His inner ear thought that was awful presumptuous of the wizard and decided to let Harry know who was really in control of special transports. Harry stumbled out of the portkey travel and knocked over an older house elf who was wearing one of the Potter family crests on his tunic.

The house elf was less than amused. He was almost scowling as he regained his feet and straightened up his tunic on his pudgy frame. He didn't even offer to help Harry regain his feet. "Most wizards are proficient in magical forms of transport by the time they reach your age, your honor. If your parents would like, I could try to tutor you on how to do that properly if I can manage any free time. I am a very busy elf."

Harry froze up as the elf mentioned his parents. He face got a set to it that Hermione had only seen once back during their first year; the time Harry had conjured up a thunderstorm to chase Malfoy during their initial flying lesson. Hermione hoped the house elf wouldn't be too damaged by a similar encounter.

Ginny helped Harry to his feet but was surprised by the wink he gave her. Brushing off his pants, Harry turned to the house elf and managed small bow. "My apologies for my clumsiness then. I'm afraid I didn't catch your name."

The elf huffed as if it was below him to explain things to the three children in front of him. "My name is Knop; I'm the head house elf in charge of all the operations here at Potter Manor. I have been serving the Potter family in an exemplary manner for four generations."

'And may not live to serve a fifth' thought Ginny privately. The elf with the bad attitude was hanging himself and she wondered how long Harry would continue this version of an interview.

"So this is Potter Manor? I only heard about this a short time ago."

"Where did you think you were going to end up? Has your portkey been damaged or did you just appear here by accident?"

'Oh, this is getting interesting' Hermione thought. 'I wonder what Harry is thinking?'

'_**Just having some sport. Rettus's descriptions didn't do Knop justice.'**_

"Our house elf sent us along. He must have been mistaken the destination. We were talking about Harry Potter a while ago and he must have thought we wanted to meet him. Is he about anywhere?"

"No. Lord Potter and his wives are expected to arrive sometime today to inspect the estate. You will not be able to see him; you aren't exactly presentable in your current attire to be presented to his lordship."

Ginny stepped forward and Harry saw a dangerous look in her eye. "Are you saying we are dressed too commonly to be able to even wish the lord congratulations on his new marital status?"

"I would not say that but I'm sure there will be a grand ball that the new lord and his ladies will host to introduce themselves to the wizarding world. Perhaps if you give me your names before you leave, I could persuade Lord Potter to send you invitations."

Ginny knew that would never happen and the house elf was trying to brush them off. Hermione saw Harry grimace at the mention of a grand party and wondered how he had held his tongue for so long against this self-important creature. She did nudge his side however when she saw Rettus and Llasol come down the nearby stairway to stand behind Knop.

Their arrival did not go unnoticed by Knop. He turned away from the group of three humans without even a word of apology. "What are you two doing here in the main hall? If you have finished moving the lord and ladies belongings, you should be back at your normal stations."

Harry coughed and winked at Rettus and fingered the pin on his collar. Rettus smiled and he and Llasol brushed by Knop who looked ready to erupt in anger at their actions.

Rettus smiled up at the grinning trio and dipped his head briefly. "Harry, we've put all your trunks in the master suite and Hedwig is sitting in his cage out on the balcony. Crookshanks, however, has decided to start exploring the manor without you."

Knop didn't believe his long grey ears. "Rettus, you didn't answer me!"

All three humans turned as one to glare at the house elf.

"He answers to Harry" Ginny said.

"You know, Harry. As in – Harry … Potter!"

Knop stared up at the boy and two girls he had been verbally sparring with. And promptly fainted! Hermione and Ginny almost fell over laughing at the reaction of the house elf but Rettus and Llasol turned to pick up the fallen Knop.

"Hold on that" Harry said. "He can stay there for a bit. He is a very busy elf you know; he could probably use a nap."

"Whatever you say, Mi'lord. Obviously Knop didn't expect you to look like…"

"A nobody with questionable clothes" supplied Hermione.

Harry shook his head sadly at the unconscious elf. "I'm afraid I going to be a horrible disappointment to Knop. Oh well. Rettus how many house elves work now at Potter Manor?"

"About twenty if you count the elves that are charged with the upkeep of the other homes on the grounds."

"We have other homes?"

"There are three houses of differing sizes to serve as guest quarters for extended visitor stays. That's beside the other six bedrooms here in the main house."

Ginny's voice shook a little as she asked the next question. "How big is Potter Manor?"

"The house or everything?"

"Everything."

"About 3 kilometers square or two miles as the old measures went. And totally hidden."

"That's about 1400 acres or 3500 hectares" whispered Hermione who had quickly done the rough math. "That's huge – almost Hogwarts and Hogsmeade together huge!"

"Wow!"

Harry was stunned at the size of the holding and all he was responsible for. "Rettus, could you and Llasol go fetch everyone and come back here in… fifteen minutes? I think we all would like to meet everyone and have a quick word with them."

Both house elves nodded and disappeared with a small pop. Harry, Hermione and Ginny took the silence to take a good look around the main hall.

It seemed they had ported to the main entrance to the manor. An impressively sized and gilded oaken door was behind them. There was a double stairway in front of them that curved up to a second floor landing. Hallways led away like spokes of a wheel on the ground floor with one directly ahead going under the staircases. The grey and white marble tiled floor seemed both elegant and homey. There were vases of flowers on a couple of tables across the hallway and Harry enjoyed the scent that filled up the entranceway.

Hermione glanced upward and then jumped sideways with a start. Harry and Ginny looked up to see a sight that filled them both with a sense of nostalgia and trepidation. A giant chandelier of brass and crystal hung over their heads – almost identical in fact to the one that had almost crushed both girls at Ollivander's wand shop when they first met Hermione.

"That will be changed before the week is out Hermione." Both girls smiled at Harry's promise but he did notice that neither wanted to be directly under it as they wandered around the main hall of Potter Manor.

There were a lot of windows in the main hall that would let sunshine in during sunny days. Harry hoped the rest of the rooms were similarly lit; it would be a nice contrast to Hogwarts with its dark hallways and frequent torches. Harry and the girls peered down a few of the hallways but other than seeing what looked like a long dining room table, they couldn't see what was in other rooms. Ginny wanted to explore but Harry said it could wait until after they talked to their staff. Harry shook his head as he said that; he just couldn't quite grasp that he was responsible for another twenty lives now.

A faint groan alerted the three that Knop was coming around so Harry and the girls walked back besides the recumbent house elf. Harry held out a hand to help Knop to his feet but he had barely stood up when the house elf shook his head and was back on his knees again.

"Lord Potter, my abject apologies. I was not…you don't look... I didn't mean to insult you or your wives. I am so sorry for my actions. I will talk to Llasol and Rettus about their improper familiarity as soon as I can."

"No, you won't. We have given them permission to talk to us that way so they have done nothing wrong. But you will listen for now as we talk to the rest of the staff. Is that understood?"

Knop mutely nodded and his eyes got wide as other house elves began popping in or walking in to the main hall. Harry and the girls waited until Rettus said that everyone was finally present. Harry climbed up one of the stairways to the seventh step and then turned to look out over the small crowd. He smiled once and beckoned for Ginny and Hermione to join him. Once they were beside him he smiled at the staring crowd and began to speak.

"Hello my name is Harry Potter and some or all of you may have been here when I was a baby. I apologize but I have no remembrance of anybody or anything about Potter Manor so I hope you all won't mind helping me. I am still uncomfortable with all this formality with this new position I have so I would ask that you don't usually address me as Lord Potter. Or kneel to me and my wives. Ginny and Hermione here are of like mind so we shall stay informal for the most part. I'm sure there will be times when formality is called for but it will only hopefully be when we are entertaining guests of the adult variety."

"I have no idea of how to run a household and only a little experience with house elves. Please have some patience with my ignorance and inexperience."

Harry paused to take a breath and there came a little buzz of conversation from the assembled house elves. Harry looked arpund and held up a hand to call for quiet. "Who attended my mother and father when they were here?"

A silence met his question and Harry turned to look at Knop. "Valey who attended both your mother and grandmothers passed away. She was most despondent on the death of your mother and just shut herself off. I attended your father when he let me. He was a most independent master."

"As I will probably be too. I've even been known to get up and fix my own breakfast." A ripple of shock went through the faces of most of the house elves but Hermione turned to Harry with a silent question. He nodded and Hermione raised her voice a little.

"Llasol?"

"Yes, Lady Hermione?"

"Our new position comes with a lot of new duties and responsibilities. Would you mind helping to look after two human females who don't have much knowledge of this whole new situation?"

"I would be honored to be your new maid miladies."

Harry spoke up at Llasol's quick answer. "You'll have to agree with the terms I am giving all the house elves here. One galleon a month pay and one day off every month."

Protests erupted from a variety of mouths, including the most vocal one - Knop. Harry held up both his hands to quiet the voices. "This is NOT designed to be a punishment for any of you. You have served this manor and the Potter family for many years and should have some reward for your loyalty and dedication. I could increase it to 4 galleons a month and two days off if you don't like that offer."

Everyone shouted out that the choice was unfair and that they performed their duties without need for compensation. Harry nodded finally at the grumbling acceptance of his prior offer from all the house elves. He smiled and saw a few answering smiles from some of the crowd.

"Hermione, Ginny and I will be wandering around the manor and the grounds for the next few weeks with the intent to meet and talk to all of you. You may all go back to what you were doing but you can also come up and introduce yourselves and let us know what your duties and problems may be."

About half the house elves immediately vanished but the others shuffled forward a little curiously to meet the new lord and ladies of the house. Harry glanced at the girls and walked down to the second stair and sat; the girls immediately came down and sat beside him. The house elves were amazed that Harry had come down to their level to speak to them.

It took about thirty minutes for the elves to come and talk to the three of them. Harry ordered again that no one should have to kneel before any of them and Harry saw a small look of disapproval cross Knop's visage. Harry noticed that the female half of the elves spoke only a few words to Harry but seemed fascinated by the appearance and smiles of Ginny and Hermione. Harry found he could talk about most of the duties the male house elves had but admitted he didn't know everything about some things. The elf in charge of the stables, Tride, seemed the most enthusiastic in meeting the young lord and his ladies.

Harry didn't know if Knop gave some hidden signal or it was a mutual decision but the remaining house elves stood back at one point and just bowed to the figures on the stairs before disappearing.

Harry and his wives stood up and looked around. Turning to Knop Harry tried a little diplomacy. "I'm sorry for the shock Knop. We are probably not going to be like any of the lords or ladies that you have served before and we definitely will have a word or two about your manners. But for now how about a tour of the manor proper?"

"Whatever you desire Lord… Harry. Oh, this is most improper. Would you like to see the upstairs or the downstairs first?"

"Downstairs would be appreciated but let's leave the library for last. We may lose Hermione there for the rest of the day."

"Lord Potter may be spanked for saying that" Hermione answered. Knop's eyes grew wide as he thought he heard a threat made to the lord of the house.

Harry and Ginny blew raspberries at her and didn't notice that Knop shuddered visibly at their action. He did however point to one of the corridors and started describing the layout of the manor as the three adolescents began following him.

Xxxx xxxx

Ginny was totally and truly overwhelmed. It had started when she saw the dining room that was bigger than any two floors of the Burrow. It had only gotten worse the more she saw of the entire ground level of the manor. The library was the exception but the study, the ballroom, the huge living room and all the other areas had added to her stress and feelings of inadequacy.

Harry had noted her growing level of panic and just asked Knop to lead them to the master suite when they finished the tour of the first floor. Llasol was busy putting away their things when they arrived and Harry asked for some privacy from her and Knop. They withdrew and Harry and Hermione walked Ginny to the bed and they all sat down for a talk.

"I'm not sure I can do this Harry. I don't know if I can be Lady Potter or Countess Fife or any of those other half dozen titles you have now. I just don't know what to do with all…" Ginny wave her hand around at the luxurious bedchamber. "…this."

Hermione knew some of what Ginny was feeling. The sudden reality of not only wealth but responsibilities and having house elves at their beck and call was intimidating. Nobody could have prepared her (or any of them) for anything like this. It just wasn't in any of her plans as she boarded the train for Hogwarts for the first time. Parents took a lifetime to teach their children how to grow up and be adults. This situation had been handed to them through a bunch of rare and unique circumstances that nobody ever expected. And Harry hadn't had the benefit of even his parents love and experience. Hermione got horribly sad as she was the one that felt the absence of James and Lily Potter for her husband.

Seeing that Hermione was starting to get depressed as she thought about things, Harry reached out and drew her into the hug he had with Ginny. He held them tight and just tried to let them feel how much he loved them. A couple of minutes passed and the girls finally calmed down a little. "I'm not expecting you to be the Ladies Potter or any other of those other distinguisessnesses." Ginny chuckled as Harry horribly mangled whatever word he had tried to say.

"I'm still Harry and you are still Hermione and Ginny. Nonnie and Vixen. And the most beautiful women that I get to share my life with from now on. That's all I want; the three of us being a family. The titles are for those people out there, not us."

"We'll learn about all this formal falderal along the way and I'm already sorry that I'll probably end up embarrassing myself or you as we learn. As far as I'm aware of we are going back to school in the fall and maybe there are some classes we can take to help us. I don't know. I do know I'm going to be asking a lot of questions from the people I do know and trust. Neville is supposed to be taking over his house someday. He and his grandmother have been helping me. Maybe she would agree to help the two of you."

Ginny rubbed her red eyes and straightened up a little. "I'm not sure Mum would be able to help us much but Dad might be able to point us to some people who could talk to us."

"Don't sell your mother short Gin. I'm sure she would like to help us out in any way she can. Assuming she doesn't disown you outright for being corrupted by me."

"I am not a tart or loose woman. And you didn't corrupt me. I'm legally married; the Ministry even said so."

"And we'll face your Mum together about that. Hermione do you really think your parents are going to be okay with us being together?"

Hermione thought for a couple of seconds and then smiled. "Mom will be okay as long as we see her on a regular basis. You may have to renew your promise to Dad about my virtue."

Harry shrugged. "I will swear a wizard's oath to both your parents if that's what it takes. There are adults that will help us out. Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Remus Lupin. It may take some time but we'll get this right."

Ginny leaned up and gave Harry a kiss to his cheek. "Thanks. You always know what to say to make me feel better."

"So are you both okay now?"

Both girls nodded and Harry took a glance at his watch. There was still an hour or two before the supper hour and he called out for Llasol. The house elf popped into the bedroom and just stood waiting for some instructions. Harry just smiled at the new maid and she smiled shyly back. "Thanks for starting the unpacking Llasol. Would you ask whoever is in charge of such things that we'd like to eat around six? And it doesn't have to be anything formal or fancy. And spread the word, please, that our arrangement from Griffin's Lair is going to be continued here. If there is a privacy ward on the door, we are not to be disturbed. Make sure that you tell Knop first and tell him we have our own schedule of things."

Llasol grinned and curtseyed. "I will be very happy to tell him that the lord and his ladies are entertaining themselves." Llasol giggled once and promptly disappeared.

"Harry James Potter. What do you think you are doing? Do you know what Llasol is going to be telling everyone?"

"No and I don't care. You can inform your maid later that a little discretion goes a long way. We have this nice big bed and you said you both felt better. I thought I would check that."

Ginny smiled and reached for Hermione's hand. "Dibs on the bathroom then." The two girls hopped off the bed and headed for the open doorway to the bathroom. They stopped when they got there and called out for Harry to come look.

Harry had already kicked off his trainers and padded over in his stockings to look over Ginny and Hermione's shoulders. The master bath was easily twice the size and ornateness of the facility they had at Griffin's Lair. There were a couple of toilets and the glass-enclosed shower looked to be about five foot square and had four of five shower heads instead of just the one they had previously. A huge sunken tub had about a dozen different faucets that would let a variety of different scents, bubbles and water into it. Harry saw that the double sinks were set in a mirrored wall.

The girls squealed at the sight and then turned and pushed Harry back. "We'll be just a few minutes, Jamie."

Harry chuckled and thought maybe the two of them would get used to some of the difficulties of being Mrs. Potter a little faster than others. He took a look around the room and went to the French doors and opened them. The balcony that was outside the bedroom was about 15 foot long and 8 feet deep and there was a small table with four chairs and a few benches. Harry went to the table and opened up the door to Hedwig's cage. The snow owl quickly hopped out of her cage and flew to Harry's shoulder.

"This will be our home for most of the summer girl. There's nowhere near the competition here for food as at the Lair. So go fly if you want, there's plenty of land here and I probably won't be sending you out with any messages until at least tomorrow."

Hedwig picked at her master's locks and rubbed her head against his cheek before she launched herself up and away from the manor. Harry watched her for a few seconds as she beat her wings toward the nearest stand of trees. Harry watched her go and just enjoyed the ease and grace that his familiar had flying.

A soft couple of footsteps behind him let Harry know that Hermione and Ginny had returned and were joining him outside. Hermione came up and clung to his arm while Ginny came to his other side and put an arm around his waist. The three took a good look at the view from the rear of their new home.

A small glen was laid out in front of them and the three pointed out the various places and things that they wanted to go take a look at. A pretty elaboratr flower garden attracted Ginny's attention first. A barn with some fences and corrals took about a quarter of the hillside across from them and Harry saw a few horses grazing in one of the pastures. Some wide trails led away from the barn and Harry hoped that Hermione wouldn't mind giving him and Ginny some pointers as they had never ridden before.

The flat part of the valley held a Quidditch pitch and both Harry and Ginny thought of her brothers coming and playing games like they had at the Burrow. Hopefully the promise of that might help ease the awkwardness that was soon coming on to visit them. Hermione nudged Harry and pointed to a nearby round pool that was surrounded by a ten foot high hedge of cedar trees_**. 'Looks like a great place for some skinny dipping Jamie.'**_

'_**Yes but what would Knop think of the newest Lord then?'**_

Harry broke out laughing as he imagined the look of horror that might appear on the head elf's face. He turned his head to kiss Hermione and then squeezed Ginny in a place that brought a wide smile to her face. "This looks like such a good place to end the day at. Just the three of us out here watching the stars appear or the moon come up."

"Can we go flying tomorrow and take a good look at all this Harry?"

"I'm sure we can Ginny; I'd like to see as much as we can and maybe find a quiet place or two for the three of us. This really is our new home now. I just couldn't imagine what it would be like to actually be here. I hope you two like it so far."

'_**We do Jamie but we'll have to test the bed first to form a good opinion.'**_

Harry allowed the girls to lead him back into the bedroom but he went to freshen up himself first after casting the privacy wards. When he returned the girls had drawn the curtains on the windows to make the setting a little more romantic. They were still dressed and Harry held his breath as he waited for the number to come up.

It was something that Ginny dreamed up to add a little suspense, fun, or anticipation to their bedroom time. The two girls decided between themselves and then let Harry know what he was supposed to do. One was the nod for him to undress the others; two was two people undressing the third and three was everyone undressing themselves. Harry was the one to add four- a race to get naked first with the first one finished determining the rest of the activities or positioning. Hermione had added five – getting naked while the other two tried to slow the others down. That had been so much fun as everyone tried to prevent the others from undressing while they got undressed. It always ended up with one hand doing one thing and the other trying to do the opposite. Harry was glad seeing the normally more reserved Hermione relax and having fun.

"We thought we'd test your coordination Jamie. One - with both of us at the same time."

Harry smiled and looked at the challenge and smiles on the girls faces. "Okay, up on the edge of the bed then."

Both girls hopped up and sat on the bed with their legs dangling off. Harry came over and kissed the both of them before he handed his glasses to Ginny. He knelt down on both knees and picked up one foot for each girl. He untied one shoe each with a hand, loosened it and slipped it off their feet. He tossed the two over his shoulders and slipped the index fingers of his hands into the top of two socked feet and pulled them down and off the girls' feet. That left the two girls with one naked foot apiece. Harry ran his fingers across the sensitive soles of each girl's foot and then licked up and across a couple of naked ankles. Harry saw Hermione shiver and incredibly saw some goosebumps run across the top of Ginny's foot and then up her leg.

Harry repeated the process with the girls other feet and soon had both of them barefoot. He stood up and held out his hands and both girls came down and stood before him. Hermione's breathing was a little rapid and Ginny winked at him before leaning into him. Harry kissed a nose of each girl in turn and then started working on their tops. Hermione had a button down blouse but Ginny had worn a pullover sweater today. Harry's right hand started working on unfastening Hermione's buttons but he ran his left hand up the inside of Ginny's sweater. He massaged her stomach a little before bunching up the sweater and raising it over her head. He was watching his hand on Hermione's buttons but when Ginny's eyes were covered by the sweater, he released it and tweaked both her nipples rapidly before finishing the job of removing it. Ginny shook her finger warningly at Harry but he could see she was really enjoying the way Harry was paying attention to both her and Hermione.

Ginny turned sideways to watch Harry slip Hermione's top off her shoulders and let it drop to the floor. Still with one hand for each girl. Harry massaged two breasts and let his hands drop slowly to the top of their slacks. Harry watch as both Hermione and Ginny sucked in their stomachs ever so slightly to let him get a good grasp of the top buttons that held their waistbands closed. Each button was unfastened and Harry kissed each girl lovingly before grasping the two zippers and lowering them.

Both girls smiled as Harry's hand pushed their pants down. Harry, in turned, exclaimed in surprise as he moved his hands around to each girls bum. Neither one was wearing knickers. Harry gazed at the devilish looks the girls had. "What? We already knew you can lower our knickers with one hand."

Harry grinned and leaned in to pick up both girls enough to get them clear of their trousers. He let them down and stood back to look at both Hermione and Ginny. Ginny had a cream colored bra on but Hermione's was brown with white lace trim.

Pressing his hands together until the knuckles cracked, Harry stared at his wives and licked his lips. Ginny cracked first and just shrugged out of her last bit of covering. "I concede." She went back on the bed and watched what Hermione was going to do. Hermione stared at Harry for a couple of seconds but then spun with a small cry and tried to run away. The seekers reflexes acted immediately and he hooked two fingers into the back of her bra.

Hermione's own momentum and turn caused the bra to become unhooked and Harry caught it with one hand before it hit the ground. Hermione turned back and saw what Harry was holding and started blushing. She walked back and hugged her husband. "You win."

Harry picked up Hermione's chin. "That doesn't mean that you lost Nonnie. I thought we were just having some fun?"

The brown haired girl's eyes were practically twinkling as she smiled back at Harry. "The fun hasn't even begun yet Jamie."

A cheery voice raised a question from the bed. "How come there's two naked people in this room when there should be three?"

Harry, with Nonnie's help, began to solve the puzzle that Vixen posed. A minute later,_ three_ naked people were tumbling and kissing on the bed.

Xxxx xxxx

Supper was wonderful but the three Potters felt a little uncomfortable sitting at the very long formal dining room table. Harry pushed away the saucer that had held a piece of blueberry pie and turned and looked at Knop. The major domo had been watching them eat supper and his presence was starting to grate on the three of them.

"Knop?"

"Yes, Lord Potter?"

Harry mentally counted to ten before he started speaking again. "Who's your second in charge?"

"No one is second in charge. There is no need for anyone else."

"Hmm." Harry stared for a minute at the house elf. "Would you write down a list and a description of all your duties for me? I just want to make sure I understand what job you are doing."

"Very well sir. When would you like this?"

"The morning would be fine Knop. In fact, we don't require you for the rest of the evening. Why don't you retire but let Rettus know we'd like to see him."

"Rettus?"

"I have a small errand for him to run. Nothing that would require your involvement."

"Very well. Good evening Lord Potter, Ladies Potter." Knop bowed and disappeared with a small pop. Harry heard the sighs of relief that came from Hermione and Ginny. He shook his head and was about to speak when Rettus suddenly appeared at the side of the table.

"You sent for me milord?"

"Yes, I have a small errand for you to run. If you don't have anything else to do."

"No. There's nothing that takes priority over your wishes Lord Harry."

"Thank you Rettus. We'd like you to go back to Hogwarts and go to the headmaster's office. Hermione and Ginny's family will probably be there. Just tell everyone that we are all safe and doing well. Extend an invitation to everyone there, the Granger and Weasley families to come visit us the day after tomorrow."

"Don't forget Luna and Tonks" Ginny added.

"We'd like Luna Lovegood, Remus Lupin and Auror Tonks to come also if it's possible." Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. "Please give this wedding announcement to Headmaster Dumbledore and only to him please."

"Anything else Lord Harry?"

"No, I don't think so Rettus. Thank you for doing this for us."

Hermione cleared her throat and Rettus turned toward her. "Do you have a minute Rettus?"

"Always for you Lady Hermione."

"I guess it's just a bit of curiosity on my part. Have any of the other house elves made any comments or asked questions about the three of us?"

"A few have approached me to see if you all were sincere in your actions and words this morning. I told them that you were. Most are happy that there is a new master and mistresses here."

'_**Harry? Could you do something about the terminology please?'**_

"Rettus, could you inform everyone that Ginny and Hermione would rather be referred to as ladies rather than mistresses. That term has a bad meaning in the muggle world."

"Certainly. My apologies Lady Ginny, Lady Hermione if I have offended you by accident."

"It's okay Rettus; we just rather not hear that designation again is all."

"By your leave then."

Harry nodded and Rettus disappeared suddenly. Harry held up his hand and cocked his ear. He held that pose for a minute and then relaxed. "Guess we're too far away."

"For what Harry?"

"The sound of Mrs. Weasley either hitting the floor or raising the roof at the news that her daughter is now married."

Ginny and Hermione laughed at the explanation but Harry was very worried about the next family meeting. He picked up the dishes that were still on the table. "Let's go see if we can find the kitchen."

A few twists, wrong turns and closed doors finally led the three to the big kitchen. Two house elves, named Luff and Algeg, were shocked to see their new heads of house calmly walk into the kitchen and ask directions to the sink. They were very insistent about relieving Harry and the others of the dirty dishes. Harry grudgingly let go of the stack he was carrying but asked which elf had fixed their supper.

Luff shyly said that she was the one to do that and was surprised when all three thanked her. Harry asked her if she was the regular cook and seemed pleased when she said yes. Harry apologized to both the elves but said that they were expecting family visitors in two days and they might have to fix lunch or supper for up to fifteen additional guests. The two elves said that they hadn't fixed meals for that large a party for a number of years but it wouldn't be a problem.

The girls and Harry went back upstairs. Hermione summoned Llasol and asked her if she would give them a tour of the rest of the second floor. It was almost an hour later that the three finished looking at the other eight bedrooms and other facilities.

Harry shocked his wives and Llasol when he asked the house elf to prepare the two rooms adjacent to the master bedroom for occupancy by Ginny and Hermione. He drew both complaining ladies into a hug and said that he would explain. They grudgingly held off hurting him while he did that.

**** For the delivery of the invitation and the reaction to the wedding announcement please reread Chapter 71 of Honestly Harry – The Founders Chambers. I'd repost it here but I think everyone is waiting for Molly and the others to visit so I'll get to that next. Captain Compass


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 – The Confrontation Looms

"I don't want to go back to smaller boobs!"

"Ginny, we've talked all about this. It's only for a couple of hours while your folks are here and then you can change back to what you have now."

The two Mrs. Potter were getting dressed in the room that had previously been the nursery, located next to the master bedroom. It was 'officially' Hermione's bedroom now and Ginny's bedroom was situated across the hall from where Harry was supposedly sleeping alone every night. It was a shallow deception designed to placate the parents of the girls who were coming to visit Potter Manor in a matter of minutes.

The previous day the three had retrieved Harry and Ginny's brooms after breakfast and flew away on a tour of their new grounds. They were pleased at the general upkeep of the maintained areas around their new home and were happy to get out and explore the countryside. Hermione was riding double with Harry and they were having an ongoing conversation with Ginny who was flying close to them. They had been flying for a while and eventually saw a nice looking meadow below them and decided to land for a break.

Hermione pulled a shrunken picnic basket from her pocket and expanded it. She pulled a few water bottles from it and a blanket that she spread out on the ground. The three settled down for another discussion on what they were going to do when their parents and siblings showed up.

"Mum is going to want to drag me home, married status or not." Ginny shuddered as she imagined the fight that was going to start once everyone got over the fact that they were all right.

"So how do we convince her that we should stay here together rather than take you away from Harry's uncontrollable lust?"

"Hey I haven't groped either of you in hours."

'_**Darn - way too long.'**_

Harry looked up to see who might have thought that but both girls were just staring back at him expectantly.

"Ginny, we're all legally adults now, the tracking and reporting bands on our wands have disappeared. It probably happened when we all melded together in the Chamber of Secrets. They can't force us to leave."

"They will still try to separate us." Ginny looked more upset the longer she talked about it.

"Do we get big bad Lord Gryffindor to talk to them and enforce the bond and marriage?"

"I don't think so Hermione. That puts us in a position of trying to bully them; I'd rather not do that. Maybe Dumbledore can talk to Ginny's mum on our behalf."

Ginny settled back on her heels. "Okay, I understand the part of us getting 'separate' bedrooms at least while they are here. But what else can we do to appear that we're just occupying the same house? That's the main thing Mum is going to object to. Everything being proper for her young lady. My virtue intact and the appearance of respectability."

"Appearance" exclaimed Hermione. "That's it! Of course."

"What's it?"

"How we look to them; how we look to all of them. Harry, you need to teach us that spell that let you change in Jamie."

"You want to change into somebody different? Are we going to just hide from them?"

"No we need to change to younger versions of ourselves."

"Why Hermione?"

"We need to look like we did the last time they saw us. Like we are only thirteen or fourteen instead of years older."

"How is that going to help us?"

"I think… I hope if we can convince Mrs. Weasley that we're still too young to be thinking about anything else than that "hug buddy" agreement we all had that they might leave us alone."

"Unsupervised?" asked Harry.

"Harry, have you forgotten you already have an adult wizard on your staff that probably would be very happy to come here and teach us for the summer?"

"Remus, of course. He could be our chaperone for them. I'm sure he wouldn't mind moving out of the Leaky Cauldron."

"And we control who gets here to Potter Manor since its Unplottable. THEY have to ask for a portkey or one of our house elves to bring them here. Legally we can't be evicted from Potter Manor since we're adults."

"We just have to be careful about that last point. Mum will have a fit otherwise. Harry what do you think about Hermione's idea?"

"I think it's worth a shot but if you two can't master the spell, I have another idea that might prevent them from having to haul us before the Wizengamot. I'll need to talk to Neville and Lady Longbottom if they still want to try that though."

"The spell?" asked Hermione.

Harry had to think for a minute or two before he remembered the specific spell that he had initially transformed himself into Jamie Evans with. He had dispensed with the wand movement and words as he became more proficient in changing his appearance. The fact that he had eventually found out he was a Metamorphmagus made the spell unnecessary. He hoped it would work for his wives just as well.

Harry stood up and sort of fell into an instructor mode as the girls paid attention to his words. "The 'Celatus Adspectus' spell involves both a physical change and glamour charm that masks your real appearance. The first part of casting the spell is firmly fixing the image you want to portray in your mind and 'seeing' how your body needs to change to match that mental image. I started from scratch with Jamie to completely change my looks. We'll just have to remember what we looked like a month ago."

"Minus Tom making me look like I was a walking disaster" said Ginny.

"Yes, and Harry will have to remember to make his scar bigger and redder than it is now. You still have to have to be identified with the lightning bolt I'm afraid."

"Thanks Hermione. It's not troubling me anymore so I tend to forget it. I know neither of you are very vain but do we need to provide images of each other of how we looked?"

"Let's try it once to see how our self-memory is before that. What's the wand movement?"

"Reverse the hold on the wand so that the tip is pointing toward you. The movement is a big counterclockwise oval as you're saying the spell followed by a tight round circle back at the top of the oval." Harry pantomimed the wand movement with his index finger and watched as the girls stood and repeated the action.

"Okay, I'll try going first. I'll use the spell first to see if I can do it without the bond magic or my 'other' abilities."

Harry pulled his wand out and reversed his hold on it. Trying to mentally imagine himself as he was for most of the past year, he cast the spell. He didn't feel much magic as the spell began to work but he felt like he was shrinking a little bit and losing weight. He heard a small giggle and shook his head as he knew he had overdone it; his trousers and underwear slipped down over his slimmer hips and he had to make a frantic grab to hold everything up.

"Don't get rid of all of that Harry; we like your bits the way they are."

Harry looked up to see that Hermione was now an inch or two taller than him now. "How bad… did I go back too far?"

Ginny came over and measured herself against Harry. "About an inch and maybe a ten or fifteen pounds too low Harry. You'd recovered a lot of your weight by the time this year started."

Harry closed his eyes and concentrated on just a little change. He felt just a tingle of magic and when he opened his eyes again Ginny was nodding her head. Harry tried to 'fix' his exact body set in his memory so he could return to it and then let the magic fade away. He took a deep breath and looked at the girls. "Who wants to try first?"

"I'll go." Hermione had a determined look on her face as she closed her eyes and cast the spell. Ginny and Harry watched a small swirl of magic surround the girl and then a younger Hermione was standing in front of them. She looked down at herself and smoothed her hands down her trousers. Ginny pointed her wand and uttered a small spell. Harry saw Hermione's clothes shake a little bit and adjust themselves to her new frame.

"That's good Hermione. Are you having any problem concentrating and holding on to the spell?"

"No, but I can see how it might get tiring after holding it for a while. How did you manage this for so long when you started Harry?"

"I practiced in my bed and in my dorm loo for a week before you knew anything about it."

Ginny made a face. "So how are we going to maintain it tomorrow?"

"Ease up Ginny. We have time to practice."

"And you can draw on the bond magic to maintain the spell Gin. I didn't have that when I started by myself."

"Okay Harry. That helps my nerves a bit. Let me try it." Ginny reversed her wand and called out "Celatus Adspectus". Harry felt the bond magic being called on more than the spell itself and Ginny shrank down to a perfect replica of herself from last fall. "Taa-daa!"

"Perfect Ginny. Drop the spell and try again."

Harry had both girls practice three or four times with the spell over the next hour until he felt that they had their younger versions down pat. They were all sitting down drinking some water when Hermione leaned over and whispered into Ginny's ear. She looked over at Harry and started giggling like crazy.

"What now?"

"We'd like to try it one more time to see if we've got it right. But you need to turn around. Please?"

Harry wasn't sure if he liked the look in both girls' eyes but he did what they requested. Harry felt the bond magic being called and mentally 'heard' the spell being cast. When the girls called out for him to turn around and check them out Harry turned and swore once. He backed away, one and then two steps wide-eyed, and promptly vanished!

The girls began desperately calling out for him as they cancelled the spell. "Harry?"

'_**Harry?'**_

'_**Harry where are you?'**_

The girls grew scared at the silence and it was thirty seconds before a mental reply came back to them_**. 'Sorry, I panicked for a second. I'm back at the Quidditch pitch next to the manor.'**_

'_**Are you okay? How did you get there?'**_

'_**We'll get back on the brooms and be right there.'**_

'_**No, wait! Don't move – I think I can come back.'**_

The girls held their breath as Harry quit talking to them. They suddenly felt his magic touch their minds and Harry reappeared right from where he had disappeared. "It worked; it really worked."

Both girls came up to hug Harry. "You scared us suddenly vanishing like that."

Hermione appeared very reluctant to let Harry go now that he was back. "We didn't mean… we thought you would like what we did."

"I did. I liked it way too much." That statement confused the girls who thought that Harry seeing a grown up and mature version of them would be a good thing.

"When I turned around and saw the adult versions of the two of you in clothes that were definitely too small and very revealing my first thought was to … jump you. Merlin knows it's hard enough to resist your many charms on a day to day basis; seeing you all sexy like that was too much for me to think about. I have those promises that I've made to you and your families about taking it easy. Even if I've never actually said anything to Molly or Arthur – I've made that promise in my heart just like I actually did say it to Tony."

"The way you looked just then was enough to make me want to do things that we aren't ready for yet. I got embarrassed and then mad - at myself. I wanted to get away – from you before I gave in and did things I would be ashamed of later."

"So what made you disappear? It looked like apparating; the same thing Dad does every morning going to the Ministry but with no sound. You need a license for apparating."

"I don't think it was apparating Ginny. I pushed away from you with my bond magic. My magic shoving against yours, and then I was at the Quidditch pitch. I was shocked at the fact that I had traveled. I heard you calling for me but I had to figure out what I did first before I answered you. I didn't mean to scare you both."

"Professor Dumbledore said that one of the things that bond magic might let us do was to move ourselves to find each other magically."

"That's what I did getting back Hermione. I found your and Ginny's bond magic and 'pulled' myself back using you as an anchor. That didn't make any sense the way I said it, did it?"

"Let's try reviewing your memories to see what happened exactly."

"Good idea but let's go back to the manor first. We need to figure this out. This is another way we can always stay together."

The girls both cheered up at that and jumped on Harry and carried him back to the ground kissing him. It was a little while before the three mounted up on the two brooms and made their way back to the manor house and lunch. A long discussion followed about the two discoveries they had made.

Now, Ginny was still nervous about what they were about to do but the lunch hour was fast approaching and Rettus had already left with the portkey.

Xxxx xxxx

Dumbledore's office uncommonly held a large number of people that all wanted to go to Potter Manor. Arthur Weasley was trying to keep his impatient wife from pacing a hole in the flagstone floor. Once he had been told that Ginny had vanished into the Chamber of Secrets, Bill Weasley had taken a leave from Gringotts and rushed home. The twins and Percy were sitting nervously, waiting to see their sister again and Luna Lovegood was trying to calm a worried Ron down. Charlie, although very worried, had not been able to get off and was waiting in Romania for some good news.

Close to the door Mr. and Mrs. Granger were talking to Remus Lupin and Tonks. Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall were eyeing the grandfather clock that had stood in the same corner of the headmaster's office since Dilys Derwent was headmistress in the18th century.

The grandfather clock started striking the noon hour and everyone stopped their conversations. There was a level of nervousness and anticipation that only grew as the clock sounded out the hour. At the beginning of the twelfth chime, the house elf that had appeared two days before appeared without a sound. He turned to look at the assembled crowd and smiled.

"Hello everyone. My name is Rettus and I'm one of the house elves that work for Lord Harry. I was to ask whether everyone had had lunch yet. The answer will determine if the portkey will take us to the dining room or the main hall."

Mrs. Weasley spoke up. "I don't care about lunch. I just want to see my daughter."

"Of course, Mrs. Weasley. Lady Ginny did say you would probably ask to get right to business." Rettus reached into his pocket and pulled out a length of rope. He passed the end to the nearest person who happened to be Remus Lupin. The length of rope kept getting longer and longer as Rettus passed it out from his hand. Rettus made sure that everyone had at least one hand securely on the portkey before he activated it. The house elf and the thirteen travelers vanished with a loud pop from Hogwarts…

…and appeared in the entrance hall at Potter Mansion a second later. The portkey rope vanished and two female voices greeted the visitors. Tony and Dee Granger headed for their daughter while Ginny was mobbed by all her brothers, her parents and Luna Lovegood.

Rettus turned to the remaining guests and bowed. "Master Harry would like to speak to the rest of you in the study for a minute or two. If you would follow me please?" The four adults followed the house elf through one corridor and a couple of doors before he came to a closed door. Rettus knocked on the door and opened it for Dumbledore, McGonagall, Remus and Tonks. They went through the door to find Harry leaning against the massive desk that took up most of the space in the study. Harry stood up and just smiled. "Welcome to Potter Manor. I'm sorry about the delay but there were some things we really needed to get done first."

Remus stepped forward and Harry hesitated for only a second before rushing into a hug from the older wizard. Harry couldn't control the tears or sobs that came out and Tonks came over and leaned against Harry's back until he found some composure again.

"So much for my acting like a proper Lord and having a great speech saying how much I missed you all."

Dumbledore came up and clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder. "You've done exceptionally well for yourself and your wives I think Harry."

"So how much trouble am I in for what the magic's done?"

"Relatively none so far because the matter has remained private for the most part." Professor McGonagall did have a bit of concern on her face. "You still have to deal with the girls' parents and a decision has to be made about whether you keep this secret from the rest of the Wizarding world."

"That's one of the reasons I asked all of you here. I'm about to go talk to the Grangers and Weasleys about the Chamber of Secrets and what's happened since then. Remus, would you consider moving in to the manor and continue instructing us over the summer? It might help with Ginny and Hermione's parents if they know there's a stable adult around."

"That would be fine with me Harry. But I have to warn you, I have a commitment that will take precedence in the fall but I'd be happy to be here for you and the two girls."

Harry rolled his shoulders. "Thank you. It would only happen to me that I'm married to two different witches and I'm officially only twelve. There's got to be some sort of book somewhere that says the Harry has to do the most improbable, unlikely things every year."

Dumbledore laughed. "Well it's a very good thing that one Harry Potter seems to manage somehow to accomplish that. You did a great service for the school and those two young ladies especially by slaying that monster. I'd like to hear how that happened."

Harry sighed. "I asked Ginny and Hermione not to answer any specific questions until I explained everything about the Chamber of Secrets and the soul bonding. There's chairs and sofas set up in the ballroom for everyone. I guess we should go over there."

Harry led the way out of the study with the four adults following closely behind. Tonks whispered to Remus as they trailed the party by a few steps. "Harry has the look of a man going to prison."

Remus shook his head. "Would you voluntarily go meet and talk to Molly Weasley if you hid her only daughter from her for a couple of weeks?"

Tonks looked up at the boy leading them down a corridor and shook her head. "He must have bits made out of brass."

"That is not a statement that needs to repeated anytime soon. There's five Weasleys brothers that are wondering what else Harry's been up to also."

"Eeek. Poor Harry."

"I'm having my wand handy just in case."

"I'll help too old man."

Remus reached up and popped the Auror on the back of her head but smiled at her. "Thanks Dora."

Harry took a deep breath before he opened the double doors to the ballroom. He gestured for everyone to precede him and closed the doors behind him. He looked around at the grouping of seats. There was a cluster around where Ginny was sitting and every one of the Weasleys looked up to see Harry when he came in. Hermione was sitting between her parents on one of the couches; she waved at him and stood when she saw him. Harry waited until the four adults that came with him sat down before he reached for an empty chair and sat down in it. Hermione dragged a chair over to put it next to Harry and Ginny patted her mother's hand and came to sit by Harry's other side.

There was a bunch of muttering from Molly and her sons but Harry looked carefully at Arthur Weasley. He just nodded at Harry and leaned back in his chair. It seemed he was willing to listen to what Harry had to say before making a judgment. That gave Harry a bit of hope.

"I know there's lots of questions and probably lots of comments all of you want to make but I wouldn't be the host that Mrs. Weasley has taught me to be if I didn't offer you all some refreshments. Does anybody want to have anything to eat or drink?"

Luna raised Ron's hand. "A couple of butterbeers over here Harry. If it's not too much trouble."

The twins laughed and raised their hands also. 'Thanks Luna' Harry thought and he called out for Luff. When the cook elf popped in, Harry asked her for a half dozen butterbeers and a couple pots of tea and cups.

Mrs. Weasley couldn't sit still for another second and stood up. "I want to know what this business about being married is about. We did not give Ginny our permission to go away with you or for you to be married. She is a minor and can't agree to anything like this. This announcement has to be soem sort of a joke from somebody in the Ministry of Magic."

"Here we go' Harry thought with a silent groan.

Percy spoke up and feebly protested that the Ministry didn't make mistakes but he didn't understand how they could be married either. Harry closed his eyes briefly as he considered how to answer both of them. It was Tony Granger that came to Harry's rescue at that point.

"I am extremely grateful to be here and to see that my daughter is not only safe but seems to be happy. I'm willing to give Harry the benefit of the doubt and listen to his explanation and story before we decide what to do next. Ginny seems safe and sound too. I think we have Harry to thank for both their rescues. Dumbledore initially said some sort of creature had taken them."

Molly sat down but was still staring steadily at Harry. Harry cleared his throat and started to defend himself. "Yes there was a monster. It was a …"

Luff and four other elves walked back into the ballroom with butterbeers and tea sets. Harry paused in his story telling while his guests fixed themselves something to drink.

"Let's start back at the beginning" Harry started. "I've got a tale of something so disgusting and evil that I'm going to ask Miss Tonks to obliviate Hermione's parents and anybody else that might want to have this memory removed from their heads. The rest of you I am going to ask for a Wizard's Oath to swear that you will never divulge what the three of us are going to tell you."

Dee Granger raised a hand. "Should Tony and I just leave the room now Harry? If you are going to remove our memories afterward, what's the sense of telling us at all?"

Tonks spoke up at that point. "So you'll understand, even briefly, what Harry and the others went through. Harry wants you to know but that knowledge may be dangerous for you to have."

"Thank you Tonks for the explanation. We'll stay since Harry thinks it's important."

Hermione thanked her parents and Harry led the others in swearing an oath to never divulge what they were about to hear. Now everyone, with the exception of Dumbledore, seemed nervous and edgy.

"There's no easy way to lead into this. The person responsible for opening up the Chamber of Secrets and setting the monster on the students this last year was… Voldemort."

Fred dropped his butterbeer and the glass shattered on the floor. Harry saw looks of shock across many faces and Molly Weasley looked angry enough to turn on Dumbledore himself.

"It was a long process to try and remove muggle students from the school or scare them away."

"He-who-must-not-be-named was at the school?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Not until the very end. He was acting through someone else." Harry reached over and rested his hand on Ginny's shoulder. This was going to get very scary for most of the people present in the next sentence or two.

Ginny stood up and faced her family. "The one to open up the chamber and direct the attacks against some of those students, the one that wrote those messages on the wall was… me. I was possessed by Voldemort."

Harry was ready and stood before Ginny turned crying into his arms. The rest of the Weasleys were dumbstruck for a second and then rushed up to the couple. Ginny was pulled out Harry's arms by Mrs. Weasley who buried her in a massive hug. Harry was sort of pushed aside by the family and Hermione stood and held his hand. It was about twenty seconds later when there was some activity in the knot of Weasleys and Ginny fought her way clear to come cling to Hermione. Everyone stared at the two young witches in shock while Ginny cried herself out in Hermione's arms.

Ginny finally turned to speak to her family and everyone else. "I'm sorry, really sorry that any and all of this happened. I didn't want to hurt anybody. I'm especially hurt that I couldn't prevent my own brother from being petrified. It must have smelled Penelope; it hunted the muggle born by their smell. It wasn't there to get you Percy; I swear to Merlin I didn't know it was after her or you."

Percy sat back in shock. 'The monster was after Penelope then' he thought.

Bill came up and dropped to his knees and folded Ginny up in another hug. Harry spoke up to address him and the other Weasleys. "You should be very proud of your daughter and sister. She fought the Dark Lord every day that she was possessed. She probably kept a lot of other students from being petrified or killed by keeping him from getting too much power. She finally loss in the end and Voldemort controlled her totally." Mr. and Mrs. Weasley looked totally overwhelmed by the facts that Harry and Ginny had let out. The four brothers who were at Hogwarts looked extremely sick. And guilty.

"That's when I got pulled into the mess." Every head but Harry's turned to look at Hermione. "At the end, Vol…Voldemort ordered Ginny to stun me and bring me down to the Chamber of Secrets. He knew by that time that Harry and I were more than just friends and he wanted to kill Harry."

Harry reluctantly took up the story again. "Just so you understand, Voldemort was draining the magic and life force out of Ginny all year long to become more powerful. She and Hermione are very gifted and powerful witches and he wanted to kill them to regain his true form and strength. I figured out where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets was with the help of somebody that had been killed when the chamber was opened fifty years ago."

"Moaning Myrtle" Hermione supplied.

"Well that explains a lot about her weepy…" George said

"…warped way of talking" Fred finished.

"She's much better now" Harry defended his friend.

Molly Weasley suddenly stood and turned to accuse her sons. "You were all told to watch out for your sister. How could you not notice something like this happening to her? I thought I raised you better but ask you to look after…"

Harry rolled his eyes briefly and walked over to where Mrs. Weasley was still going off on her four youngest sons. "Mrs. Weasley."

No reaction. No change in the anger, hurt and direction in Mrs. Weasley' voice.

"Mrs. Weasley!"

Harry finally laid his hand on her arm. "Molly, please."

That got her attention and Mrs. Weasley turned to look at Harry. Ron looked at the expression on his mother's face and hope Harry would be still breathing after the next two minutes.

"Don't blame them. Nobody knew what was going on. Even Dumbledore and I were content to leave her be after that accident that resulted in her memory loss. If it's one thing I gotten to know and love about Ginny is that she fights her own battles. Voldemort kept her from talking to anybody about this and she looked and acted almost normal for the year. Nobody knew the struggle and trouble that was going on."

Mrs. Weasley sat down and her husband pulled her into a hug. He looked up and Harry and mouthed the word 'Thanks'. Harry suddenly felt a little tired.

"I need to take a little break. I'd tell you where the loos are but I'm not quite sure yet."

"Second doorway to the left down that corridor over there Harry. The girls' is down the opposite corridor."

"Thanks Hermione. I'll be right back."

Harry took off in the direction that Hermione had pointed and found out that Remus and Ron were trailing him. He did his business and waited for the two outside the doorway. The old and younger wizard came out together and Harry pushed himself off the wall and waited to see what Ron would do.

Ron shook his head and pulled Harry into a hug. "Thanks for saving Ginny. Mum's especially gone spare over her disappearance into the chamber and no word for ten days. This is your house?"

"Yes and no. It's the Potter family home and it's quite big. If your Mum or Dad don't kill me after the rest of the story I'll have time to show you the nice Quidditch pitch out back."

"Cool but if you've harmed or touched Ginny…"

"I know Ron, I know. I'll be back to the ballroom in a minute."

Ron turned and walked back the way they had come and Remus threw his arm across Harry's shoulders. "You've done well so far Harry but I suspect the problem with Ginny is only part of the whole story?"

Harry hung his head for a minute. "What we've said so far is just the start. The telling of the next parts might get a little dicey for me and the girls."

"Okay Harry but remember that you've got at least four of us to back you up."

"Good, I don't want Hermione and Ginny being put into a position to having to choose between their families and me. And it might just come down to that by the time we're finished today."

Remus tried to figure out the desperation in the boy's voice as they both headed back to the ballroom and the rest of the story.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 - The Newlyweds Speak Out

Harry had to wait a few minutes when he got back to the ballroom to begin their story again. Tonks slipped back into her chair with an apology and Harry saw that Remus had placed his hand next to hers on the chair she was sitting in.

Hermione and Ginny both gave Harry a hug and kiss to the cheek before he sat back in his chair. Ignoring the mutterings that came from Ginny's brothers Harry started on the rest of the story. "By the time I reached the Chamber of Secrets, Hermione and Ginny were unconscious and Voldemort was waiting for me. (Harry and the girls had decided not to mention Tom Riddle as Voldemort's real name to protect that knowledge from spreading.) He desperately wanted to know how he had been defeated when I was a baby. He threatened to kill the girls outright if I didn't let him know. So I told him what Professor Dumbledore told me – that my parents sacrifice provided a protection for me and his killing curse rebounded to him."

There were a number of simultaneous conversations that started among all the people in the room as they digested how Harry had incredibly survived all those years ago. Harry waited for the room to become quiet again. Hermione squeezed his hand in encouragement.

"Once Voldemort had that knowledge, he decided that I should be punished for my defiance in not dying. He called on the Guardian of the Chamber to come and kill me."

Bill Weasley's voice broke into Harry's story. "How big was the basilisk Harry?"

The mention of the word basilisk certainly got a reaction from almost everyone. Remus stood in anger and Tonks swore loudly next to him. Percy and the twins stared at Harry disbelievingly. Luna smiled and hugged Ron's arm a little tighter. Mrs. Weasley made a move to get up and move to Harry and the girls but her husband grabbed her and made her sit down.

Harry waited until the murmuring stopped before he answered Bill. "I didn't have time to measure it as things got a bit frantic for a while. I think it was about 60 feet long."

"58 feet, 2 and ½ inches" came the calm voice of Dumbledore. "I have seen it and took the time to measure it."

"Was that including the three feet of his tail that Harry cut off during the fight Headmaster?" Ginny's voice came out with a little bit of pride at the size of the monster that Harry killed.

"I thought you were unconscious during this" came from Mr. Weasley.

"We're getting to that Dad. Anyway Harry fought and defeated the huge snake."

"I had some help" said Harry as all eyes swung back to him. Harry looked around the room once and then up at the ceiling. He called out once. "Fawkes, are you here?"

The scarlet and gold phoenix flashed into the middle of the room singing a wonderful song. Harry felt most of his tension and anxiety vanish as the bird circled overhead once and then settled on the back of Dumbledore's chair.

Hermione started speaking then and described the fight as Fawkes blinded the basilisk but Harry fought on against both 'The King of Snakes' and Voldemort himself with a sword. She stopped after describing how Harry had finally slain the monster but had been poisoned by one of its fangs.

"Its' fang broke off in my arm and I thought I might have died right then and there. But Fawkes returned and healed me with its tears."

"You are very lucky you're still alive Harry." Harry heard a grudging respect in Bill Weasleys voice as he looked from Harry to his sister and back.

Ginny patted Harry's hand from where she sat next to him. "There was a book that was charmed by Voldemort and that's what possessed me. Harry had the brilliant idea and stabbed the book with that loose basilisk fang. The fang still held a lot of poison and it destroyed the spell and the book."

"It also destroyed Voldemort and his possession of Ginny. Once Voldemort was dispatched….

"Again, if anyone is keeping score" Hermione said proudly. "That's three times."

Remus and Tonks both leaned forward at this announcement. This was news indeed.

A softer voice posed the next question. "So what happened next Harry? Or are you going by Lord Potter these days?"

Harry smiled at the eccentric Ravenclaw. "For you Luna, and everyone else in this room, I'm still the same old Harry."

"To get to what happened next. When Voldemort was finally gone, Ginny and Hermione woke up and the bond between us reawakened again. But now we had more life debts to settle between us. I'm not sure why it happened but the three of us were engulfed in a magical 'blizzard' for lack of a better term. The bond magic surrounded us and starting going through us. We passed out from the sheer force of the magic that was flowing over and through the three of us."

"When we woke up later" Hermione said, "we had all changed."

"And what sort of changes are we talking about… Lady Hermione?" Dumbledore's voice spoke out for the first time all afternoon and everyone somehow recognized how important the answer might be.

"We had each other's memories for starters. I knew every detail about how Ginny grew up and how the Dursleys regularly beat Harry before he came to Hogwarts. Every memory of every day that the three of us had at Hogwarts."

Auror Tonks stood and asked Harry if she could go take care of the Dursleys for him. Harry thanked her but said the matter had been resolved. Remus spoke up and said that Dursleys were not even the country anymore. Harry was strangely relieved that his relatives were out of arms way.

"So what else changed in you, Ginny and Harry?" Tony Granger seemed relaxed but his voice did give away some of the nervousness he had.

"We could talk to each other mentally Dad. We were totally and thoroughly mentally and emotionally linked. We could feel what the others were feeling and thinking."

"You don't have any privacy any more" came the accusation from Mrs. Weasley.

"Yes and no, Mrs. Weasley. We have intimate knowledge of each other now but we don't pry or try to influence the way any of the other two of us think or act."

"So why was the decision made to go away? If you had defeated You-Know-Who, why did not you not return to school immediately? Since Harry got into the Chamber, he could certainly return with you girls the same way.

"I'd hazard a guess that there were other complications Molly." Dumbledore gave an encouraging nod to Harry and he started to explain.

"Even though the bond magic had merged and melded us together, it was unstable. It was potentially dangerous for anyone else to be around us. That and…"

"What else aren't you telling us?" Harry looked at where Molly Weasley had stood suspiciously.

"We had to come to terms with what happened to us individually and as a …family. We suspected, very strongly, that the four parents would try to separate us once they found out what happened to the girls."

"And that couldn't happen!" Ginny said with some conviction.

"We tried moving apart once we emerged from the 'melding' but it caused us severe physical and magical pain. We had to keep in constant touch with each other."

Dumbledore nodded as if he was listening to something familiar. Harry crossed his fingers and waited for the explosion that was soon to happen.

"So we went someplace where we could be alone and deal with the changes. All three of us were too embarrassed to go back and be with either the Grangers or the Weasleys since we had to spend every moment, day and night, in contact with each other."

"YOU'VE SLEPT WITH MY DAUGHTER? HARRY JAMES POTTER - HOW COULD YOU? WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU DONE TO HER?"

Mrs. Weasley and at least two of Ginny's brothers made a move to rush toward Harry in anger. Hermione and Ginny immediately stepped in front of Harry to defend him. Fawkes flashed into the rapidly shrinking space with a great display of flames. That halted the Weasley's charge and Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall moved to meet the indignant Weasleys.

"Settle down, settle down. Let Harry talk and explain." Mr. Weasley came up to take Molly's hand and lead her and the boys back to the chairs. The accusations that came with the silent stares made Harry squirm a little in his seat.

Hermione hugged Harry but then went over to her parents. Her father grabbed her hand but Hermione kissed him once on the cheek and then turned back to face everyone else. "Harry did sleep with me and Ginny. I'll admit it. Sleep was all he did other than giving us some comforting hugs. He went to the loo with us, we all took baths together and we had to eat while keeping constantly in contact with one another. We had NO choice in the matter. Harry proved himself to be a true gentleman through the three days it took for us to learn how to be separate again. He kept his eyes closed when he should have and he did not take advantage of us at any time. He is very much of an honorable and respectful person and all of you should be ashamed of yourself for thinking he is anything less."

Harry was pleased at the impassioned speech by his wife and it seemed to knock back some of Mrs. Weasley's outrage. Harry noticed that Dee and Tony Granger were smiling back at their daughter and him. Harry started talking again to the group of his unsettled in-laws. He hoped the mostly true facts would help.

"Molly, I've kept to the hug-buddy arrangement that _you_ drew up for me and Ginny. I have not gone on to anything other than hugging and kissing. ('a lot of neat places' Ginny thought.)

"There were four bedrooms at Griffons Lair and the girls slept alone ('at least once or twice' Harry amended mentally.) once we separated."

"The girls have ('but don't use' Hermione thought to herself.) their own bedrooms upstairs here. Feel free to go up and look."

"We received the announcement from the Ministry of Magic the second day we were at Griffon's Lair. Just to let you know, Griffins Lair is an Unplottable Potter family retreat about halfway to Iceland and no Ron, there are no griffins there at this time."

"The announcement was a surprise to all of us. We did not chose this for ourselves – despite my feelings for your daughters, something like this should have only happened much later in my, our lives."

Dumbledore chose that moment to stand beside Harry and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Harry, Hermione and Ginny are now legally adults because of the marriage. Or they are married because they are legally considered adults. It was not through any deliberate action on their parts but the results of what the bond magic has made them become."

Molly Weasley raised a question in a very sad and teary voice. "Is there nothing to be done about separating this bond and marriage then?"

"Not without probably costing the three of them their magic and maybe their lives." Harry slumped back in his seat. Even if he wanted to change things to placate Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, that cost was totally unacceptable. He wasn't sure what he could or should say or do next.

Dee Granger stood up and spoke to the rest of the group. "I'm not sure about everybody else but I could use a little break to digest everything that we've been told here so far. Molly, I think Harry offered us an opportunity to look around. Maybe Ginny and Hermione wouldn't mind showing us some more of this marvelous home and we could check out their bedrooms at the same time?"

Molly looked up a little teary-eyed but nodded. When she stood up Harry sent a thought out to his wives_**. 'Somebody invite McGonagall and Tonks too. I think it's time for the man-to-man-to-boy talk.'**_

'_**Will you be okay with my brothers Harry?'**_

'_**The odds aren't going to get any evener. Dumbledore and Remus will hopefully stick up for me and I think both your dads are neutral so far.'**_

"Professor McGonagall, would you, Luna and Tonks like to come along with us?"

The three other witches nodded and stood up to join in the tour. Ginny came up and hugged her mother before anything else was said or done. "You haven't loss me you know, I still love you and Dad the same as always."

Molly Weasley looked at her husband who simply nodded at her. Molly swept up her daughter in a huge hug and just simply held Ginny's hand after she let her down. Hermione had a hold of her mother's hand as she led the small group out one of the doorways. "You have to see this dining room Mom. It's way too big for Harry and the two of us so we're thinking about turning it into a one-lane bowling alley. Honestly, we have talked about it…" The voices and laughter faded off as the women all walked away from the dining room.

Harry stood up and went to get one of the butterbeers that was still standing on the tray that Luff had brought in earlier. He turned around to see that Ron was eyeing him a little nervously.

"Lord Potter?"

"Yeah, I was going to get it anyway at fifteen Ron since I'm the only heir. You don't have to say that title ever again; I'm still just Harry."

"Okay, but does that mean I have to call shortstuff 'Lady' and bow down to her?"

"I've asked her to take it easy on her brothers but your guess will be as good as mine if she does anything I ask of her."

"That's our Ginny. Whoops, guess it just your Ginny from now on."

Harry raised his voice to answer that comment. "Definitely not. Ginny wants to continue to be as much a part of the Weasley family as she has been. I kind of insisted on it as a matter of fact. I've never wanted to get in the way between Ginny and everyone else she loves."

"That's very generous of you Harry." Harry turned a the sound of Mr. Weasley's voice and saw that he and Mr. Granger had come up together to speak to him.

"I know how important their families are to both Hermione and Ginny and I wouldn't dream of interfering with that. So with your permission we'll be visiting a lot or having you over here for a day or two. In fact you are invited to stay over tonight if you'd like."

"I need to go back to the Ministry in the morning Harry" Mr. Weasley stated.

"You can leave from here if you want or go to the Burrow first. The floos work perfectly fine in leaving from here; you just can't use them to arrive."

"Do you have room for us all?"

"If we don't we'll make room Mr. Weasley."

"Then I'll accept for the Weasley family. Molly would like to spend more time with Ginny and you."

"Mr. Granger…err, Tony, how about you and Dee?"

"We'll stay; we haven't seen Hermione in a long time either."

Harry turned to Remus with a smile. "Do I get one room or two prepared for you and Tonks?"

Remus flushed but then stared at Harry. "Two if she wants to stay. We aren't like that - boss."

Harry held up his hands in surrender and made a face. "I was just asking." Harry sobered up and called for Knop. The house elf popped into the ballroom and looked around at everyone. He then bowed to Harry but didn't say anything.

'He's learning' Harry thought. "Knop would you have Nikral, is that the right name, prepare the Garden House? The Weasley family will be staying at least overnight so make sure the kitchen is stocked and the place is aired out. And have someone help Llasol to make sure that four of the bedrooms in the south wing upstairs are ready for people."

"Very well Lord Potter. And it's Nikrak who's in charge of the Garden House. Am I to assume all of your guests will be staying for supper?"

"Yes Knop. I apologize for the name confusion. I'll go tell Luff and Algeg about the dinner change and see what they want to make."

The house elf blustered at the idea that Harry would actually go to the kitchen himself but Harry paid him no mind. "Go Knop and do the things I asked of you and I'll take care of some things myself." The house elf popped out with a small scowl on his face.

Harry turned back to face his male visitors. "Knop wants to run the place himself and is a little upset that I can think for myself. It's a little trying but I think he and I are adapting."

Harry sat down wearily and looked around. "I need and want to talk to you all about everything and it's important for you to understand how much I care about Ginny and Hermione. But I don't know who to start with and what to say to you as individuals or parents or brothers, friends or the headmaster. I'm sorry about that."

Remus looked at the frazzled face of his best friends' son and tried to help him out. "Harry I've been here many times. Why don't I take the Weasleys and Tony here for a tour around the grounds for a while? A little fresh air may do us all some good and you can have a chance to talk to the Headmaster alone."

"That would be nice Remus. Why don't you head out for the stables? Tride said we have a hippogriff up there recovering from a sprained wing. I bet Tony and Ron would like to see something they've never seen before."

Remus nodded. "I haven't seen one for a number of years myself. Arthur, Tony, Bill - I think the fastest way out of here is through the library. Don't groan like that Ron; I'm not going to force you to read anything. This corridor over here I believe."

Harry watched Remus lead the others out one doorway and noticed the looks that all of Ginny's brothers gave him. He wished he knew what they were thinking about him or Ginny and him. He sighed and turned his attention back to Dumbledore. The older wizard pulled a chair up close to Harry and just looked at him for a second. "You can drop the illusion now if you want Harry; we're alone. And I see you have a few new rings to show me."

Laughing, Harry let go of the form changing spell and held up the Slytherin House ring that was on his finger. He had been positive that they wouldn't be pulling the wool over Dumbledore's eyes and Harry was glad that the headmaster had waited on that disclosure until they were in a private conversation.

Xxxx xxxx

By the time Remus was heading out to the library patio and toward the stables, the ladies of the house and their guests had toured downstairs. They had walked through almost all of the bedrooms upstairs and had gone through Ginny and Hermione's bedrooms. They moved on to Harry's bedroom and walked through to the big terrace outside.

Hermione called for Llasol and the house elf soon brought a pitcher of cold lemonade and glasses for everyone. Professor McGonagall was talking to Molly Weasley as they looked out over the valley. Molly saw her sons and husband out walking with Mr. Granger and Remus. She waved to them and they all waved back to her when they noticed the people on the terrace.

Ginny giggled suddenly and went over to her Mum. "Harry's invited everyone to stay over and Dad accepted. You'll be staying in the Garden House; it's hidden over there a little behind the Quidditch pitch. Mrs. Granger?"

"How many times have I asked you to call me Dee?"

"At least three times now – I'm sorry. You and Mr. … Tony will be bunking up in one of the bedrooms we just looked at."

"Good."

"Tonks." Hermione started giggling herself. "Harry asked Remus if you and he would be sharing a room tonight."

"Dear" Mrs. Weasley said, "that's not a good question to ask anyone."

"I'm just relaying the conversation."

Tonks blushed but couldn't help asking the question back. "What did Remus say?"

"Sorry, he said two bedrooms."

Tonks suddenly became aware that Professor McGonagall and Mrs. Weasley were watching and waiting for her reaction. "That's probably just as well. We're both visitors and shouldn't be a bad example for anyone."

Mrs. Weasley just nodded her approval for that statement but Dee had seen how Ginny and Hermione had rolled their eyes. Dee stood up and went over to her daughter. "Would anyone mind if I take a few moments alone to talk to my daughter?"

Seeing no objections, Dee walked over and took Hermione's hand. "Let's go back to your bedroom dear. I'm sure you will be more comfortable there." Hermione received a silent 'Good luck' wish from Ginny and led the way to her 'room'.

Hermione flinched when she sat down as she 'heard' Mrs. Weasley asked Ginny to go talk with her also. Dee Granger saw the look of concern on her daughter's face and asked her what was wrong. "Ginny's mom is just starting her cross-examination."

"Do you want me to go rescue Ginny dear?"

"No, Harry and I have been coaching her a little because we all knew this was coming. I hope it won't be too bad for her. Okay Mom what did you want to talk to me about?"

Dee leaned in to give Hermione a hug and then a kiss to her forehead. "How's married life been treating you?"

"You're not mad at me or Harry?"

"I'm not exactly happy at the circumstances but I'm happy if you are happy. Congratulations are the customary greeting but your father is feeling a little cheated."

"By…?"

"That he didn't get a chance to harass Harry more as your fiancée or walk you down the aisle."

"Actually, Harry has asked to have a regular wedding with me and Ginny. Something 'right and proper'. He said it would be for us and our families to have and celebrate. He brought up the idea. So Dad can walk me down the aisle anyway."

"That's wonderful. Do you have any ideas yet?"

"No, Harry hoped the wedding planning would pull everybody together."

"I guess if you have to have a husband, it's better that he's smart. So how is he in bed?"

"He's fantas… Mom! I can't believe you asked that. As if I'd know."

"Honey, if you think that I think you've been telling us the whole truth, you're sadly mistaken. You need to hide your tracks a little better. Your and Ginny's toothbrushes are right next to Harry's in the master bathroom. And I saw somebodies sandals sticking out from under that big bed over there."

Hermione slumped. "Please don't tell Mrs. Weasley. Mom we haven't gone all the way. Honest. Harry made a promise to both Ginny and I that he would never push or ask for anything. And he's kept that promise."

"I believe you Hermione. And I understand the position you and Harry are in with Molly. So can I assume you are all sexually active?"

Hermione blushed. "Just a little but not enough for you or anybody else to worry about becoming a grandmother or grandfather."

Dee Granger smiled. "Good. I won't tell Molly; it'll be our secret for now. So what else have the three of you been up two for the last two weeks?"

As Hermione started telling her mother about their time at Griffin's Lair, Ginny was having a less pleasant time across the hall.

Ginny went and sat on 'her' bed as Molly closed the door behind them. "Why does Hermione have the bedroom with the door connecting to the master suite? Are she and Harry having sex?"

Ginny ground her teeth but tried to keep her face calm. "We drew straws for that bedroom; it used to be the nursery where Harry slept when he was a baby. No, Harry and Hermione are NOT shagging. And to get to the question you really want to ask – Harry and I have not 'done the dirty deed'.

"You were all gone so long that I didn't know what to think. And then to find out you're married – my imagination and fears just got away from me."

"So is it you don't trust Harry or you don't trust me?" Ginny met her mother's stare with one of her own. Molly leaned back on the door in thought for a minute but then came over to sit next to her daughter.

"I can't believe you are married Ginny."

"We were shocked at the announcements when we got them."

"And I bet Harry didn't even give you a ring."

Ginny held out her hand and removed the glamour on it. "He did. See? And he promised us we could have any wedding ring we'd like once we make a trip to Diagon Alley."

"So why did you hide it from me and your father?"

"Harry is in enough trouble with you, Dad and my brothers. I didn't want to antagonize anyone anymore by appearing to flaunt it."

"Okay, I'll concede that point. I'll also admit that I'm very confused about my feelings now. I'm really angry at Harry, you, Hermione, Dumbledore, and myself. Things should not have happened this way and I really want to blame somebody so that I feel better."

"Mum? You've never talked to me like this before."

"You've never been …married before. I can't believe I just said that." Mrs. Weasleys sat down on the bed and looked about ready to cry. Ginny really wished Harry was here to help her out if only for a second.

Harry appeared out of thin air suddenly with a confused look on his face. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny jumped as he suddenly arrived in the middle of the room. "Harry?" came out of both mouths. Harry looked around and then smacked himself lightly on the head. "I'm sorry for barging in. Ginny called to me and suddenly I appeared here. It wasn't deliberate." Harry kissed Ginny on the forehead and excused himself saying he had left right in the middle of a conversation with Dumbledore.

Mrs. Weasley looked at the door that closed behind Harry and then looked over at her daughter. Ginny was amazed when she saw a small smile on her mother's face. "It took me about 5 years to train your father to respond like that when it wasn't about …."

"Mum?"

"Ginny dear, the thing that really upsets me the most is that there is absolutely nothing I can do to correct this situation. I wanted a nice big wedding for you and a husband that deserved you. Hush, I'm still speaking. I know how much care about Harry and that you love him in your own way. Harry is an excellent young man but he's still the first you ever really cared about and I can't help thinking that you needed more life experiences before you _could choose_ your own spouse."

"Mum, Harry really loves me. I've seen into his mind and his heart and I have no doubt about his feelings. And he has no doubt about mine."

"But married with Hermione too? How are you going to share one husband between the two of you? No, don't answer THAT question. You_ can_ assure me that you are waiting to graduate Hogwarts before you have any children."

"I can definitely swear 'yes' to that request Mum. We're not ready for anything like that. Harry has been very insistent about letting Hermione and I set the pace on certain things. What more do you want from us?"

"I wanted to bring you back to The Burrow when we got here. I still do but it seems I have no authority to do so. I guess I can't really expect you to leave Harry; I know I didn't want to be separated from your Dad for a second when we first got married."

"I never wanted to make a choice between my family and Harry. I hope you know how much I love you and Dad."

"We know Ginny but we never thought we would lose you this soon and in such an unusual way. People are going to be thinking and saying such bad things about the three of you if this gets out. I can't even imagine all the insults and other bad things that you'll get from the press or even the Ministry. They will think you tricked him or slept with Harry in order to get a hold of his money and title."

Ginny moved over and slipped herself onto her mother's lap. "For starters, you haven't lost me at all. I don't really care what other people think as long as you, Dad, and my idiotic brothers know the truth. Just to make everybody a little less angry you should cast that spell that shows whether I'm still…unsullied."

"You don't have to volunteer for that; I will take you at your word Ginevra."

"I'm trying to save Harry the worry about defending my honor to Dad or those brothers that are way too overprotective. Harry wouldn't deliberately hurt them and he might not even defend himself if he thought it would help the situation. And I don't think you want to see Hermione and I pull wands on our own family."

"You're a pretty smart young lady."

"I learned from two excellent parents." Ginny kissed her mother and hopped down from her lap and moved a few feet away from her. She spread her feet and held her arms up. "Go ahead. Please, I insist."

Molly pulled her wand out of her pocket and made a complicated wave at her daughter. "Ostendere sanctitatis." A blue ring of magic surrounded Ginny's middle and then turned white. Ginny breathed a small sigh of relief and just looked at her mother.

"That is reassuring. I'll let Arthur and the boys that Harry hasn't touched you against your wishes and that you will both be waiting for a long time to … consummate things."

"Thank you Mum."

"You are an adult now Ginny and it's nobody else's business what you do with your spouses. I just said spouses, didn't I? I'll try not to think what my baby is doing in Harry's bed. You will try to keep your public image respectable if you want your brothers and other people not to harass you?"

"Of course Mum. I understand about looking respectable."

"Is there anything else you want to talk about now Ginny or are we done?"

Ginny hugged her mother about the neck. "We'll never be done talking Mum. I'm very new to this married thing and I'm going to need a lot of advice and help from you. But you ought to know two things."

"And what would those two things be?"

Ginny looked into her mother's face and had a big grin. "One is that Harry has multiple titles and a lot of vaults at Gringotts now. So Harry never has to work once we all graduate from Hogwarts unless he wants to."

"I was never worried that he wouldn't provide for you. What's the second thing?"

"Harry wants to formally marry Hermione and me. For real; so I can still have that big wedding like you wanted."

Molly Weasley's jaw dropped in surprise and then she leaped up yelling and swept her daughter up in a massive hug. "That's fantastic! When? Where?"

"We haven't got to that point in the discussion yet. But he thought that our families deserved a big celebration and party to replace the unusual way we did get married."

"That's a very thoughtful husband you have."

"Mum, that's the first time you've admitted that I have a husband."

"I guess we all better get used to it because it's a real fact now. It's just going to take us all a while to adjust. Let's get out of here. I do believe I owe Harry a hug, some Congratulations and a Welcome to the Family kiss."

Molly Weasley held out her hand and Ginny took it. The older witch hugged her daughter and then released her. "Let's go find your husband Mrs. Potter."

Xxxx xxx

Harry had finished telling Dumbledore about the second fight with Voldemort that happened in Hermione's mind. The old wizard was shocked and dismayed that Harry had been carrying around some sort of version of Tom Riddle/Voldemort for almost a dozen years. He had no explanation for Harry and they both lapsed into silence thinking about the meaning and fallout from the encounters.

Seeing the young man across from him straighten up, Dumbledore watched Harry back shrink into a younger and leaner version of the young man he had been talking to. "The ladies are returning" was all he said by way of explanation.

Harry switched the discussion over to wards and how he and his wives had replaced the wards that covered Griffins' Lair. He asked the headmaster if he would return to Potter Manor in a week or so to check the new wards that he had to cast. When Dumbledore agreed, Harry wondered if he should go to Hogwarts to continue the discussion about Voldemort. They were in the middle of settling up on a day and time when his wives and other female guests returned to the ballroom.

Dumbledore cancelled the privacy spell he had cast for his and Harry's talk. He watched as Molly Weasley strode purposely across the room and stood before the new lord of the manor.

"I need to have some words with you young man. Would you please stand up Harry?" Harry looked around for some help but straightened up a little fearfully from his chair.

Mrs. Weasley glared at Harry for what seemed a very long time but then grinned and swept him off his feet in a massive hug. Even Professor McGonagall grinned at the surprised look on Harry's face as he was set down.

"Welcome to the family Harry. I trust you'll take good care of Ginny."

"I'll do everything I can for her and Hermione" Harry said with as much conviction as he felt.

"And Harry?"

"Yes Mrs. Weasley?"

"Gotcha! And you can call me Molly or Mum now." The rest of the room exploded into laughter at the gobsmacked face of their host. Dee came over and woke Harry out of his surprise with a gentler hug and a kiss to his cheek.

Dumbledore rose at that point and said he and Professor McGonagall would be returning to Hogwarts and leave the newly expanded family to have some time alone. Harry asked if they would still stay for dinner but Dumbledore said they would stay another time. Harry called for Knop to escort the two to the nearest floo but impulsively hugged both Dumbledore and McGonagall before they left.

Harry was standing in the middle of his wives, mothers-in-law and Tonks when the rest of the Weasleys, Tony and Remus returned from outside. Molly kissed Harry on the cheek and went over to talk to the rest of her family. Ginny took the opportunity and distraction to spin Harry around and kiss him soundly on the lips. Dee pushed Hermione forward and told her 'to take her own turn'. Harry's eyebrows rose briefly but, considering the place he found himself, he wasn't going to complain.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 – Goblins Agog

Jamie Evans appeared first out of the floo point but stumbled flat as he lost his balance yet again. He got out of the way as two young witches emerged giggling behind him.

"Imagine that sis" the older one with curly hair laughed and pointed. "An old duffer like that and he still can't floo to save his life."

"Ah, don't blame him" the redhead said. "He's probably just drunk and missed the right exit to the Leaky Cauldron and his eleven o'clock pints. Should we help him up?"

"I'm not sure we should actually touch him. Merlin knows who or what he's been dealing with. Just give him some change toward his drinks."

The smaller girl flipped a coin at the older wizard but he intentionally dropped it and scrambled on his knees to pick it up from the ground. The two witches walked off arm in arm toward Gringotts while the wizard looked around at the rest of Diagon Alley.

'_**You two are in such trouble when we get back to the Manor.'**_

'_**Are you going to send us to our bedroom without supper?'**_

'_**Please, please?'**_

Jamie sent a loud mental raspberry back at his wives and straightened up. This was the last time he went first or by himself. He sauntered slowly toward the goblin bank himself and wondered how the two Mrs. Potters weren't laughing at the verbal prank they had just pulled on him.

The Weasleys and Grangers had stayed over for two nights as the families had gotten familiar each other. Harry had been cornered by Ginny's brothers yesterday morning and had worked out a compromise over a couple of glasses of firewhiskey(for Bill) and some hard cider for the rest of them. They promised not to harass Harry as long as he and Ginny (and Hermione) did nothing more than hug and briefly kiss in front of them. Harry, on his part, would not unleash "The Wrath of Ginny" on them if there was a misunderstanding or a random prank that involved their new brother-in-law. It was a lot better outcome than Harry had hoped for even if he did emerge from his study a little wobbly from the alcohol.

The four parents of Ginny and Hermione spent a lot of time together wandering around the grounds and simply talking. Harry didn't think much of the conversations until he caught Mr. Weasley eyeing him a little sharply at one point after he returned from work. He seemed back to normal later but didn't say much to Harry for the rest of their visit.

Hermione and Ginny had flooed to the Granger home first thing this morning to escort Dee and Tony back. They had used the portkey to get back to the Manor in time to say goodbye to Luna, Ginny's brothers and Molly Weasley. Harry told Ron and the twins that they were welcome to come back and play Quidditch anytime. Ginny got hugs from her brothers and promises to help correct Harry's behavior problems if needed. She smiled and watched them floo to The Burrow before she got a hug and kiss from her mother.

Mrs. Weasley turned and caught up Hermione in a hug also and said she was glad that Hermione was part of the family now. When she got to Harry she picked him up in another hug. But what nobody else heard was the sentence that Molly whispered in Harry's ear. "If you cast a warming spell on the foot of your bed, you'll be safe from always waking up with Ginny's cold feet on your backside. Dee assures me you all are taking that part of your lives seriously and slowly. Thank you for that and remember I'm not ready to be a grandmother yet."

Harry's shocked look caused Mrs. Weasley to just laugh quickly as she reached for the floo powder. He belatedly added a "Goodbye Mum" to his wives parting wishes. He had a hard time coming up with an explanation for his flushed face and stammering but he did start thinking of an appropriate response to get back at one of his new mothers-in-law.

It was Hermione that reminded Harry that he wanted to go to Gringotts and straighten up the mess with the additional house and titles. And although Harry wanted to take a small break from responsibilities, he recognized the need to deal with Ragnorak and Wrotkill as soon as possible. He immediately dispatched Knop to Diagon Alley with a request for an eleven o'clock meeting. After the house elf returned with the confirmation, Harry and the girls went upstairs to change. Harry looked at his wardrobe and wondered if he would need a lot more formal clothes for all the future meetings he was hoping to avoid.

Ginny and Hermione had insisted that Harry precede them to Diagon Alley as he was the head of the family now. Harry wondered as he made his way up the steps to Gringotts if that little scene he had just suffered through was practiced beforehand or something they had done on the spur of the moment. He decided as he passed through the doors that it was something he shouldn't waste a lot of time worrying about. As long as they were happy he didn't mind a little bit of ribbing.

Harry saw that Griphook was already waiting besides Ginny and Hermione when he entered the bank. His account manager bowed to Harry and Harry bowed back and greeted Griphook in gobbledygook. Griphook smiled and led the three Potters through a maze of corridors until they came to a wide set of double doors. Griphook knocked on the doors once and then opened it to let Harry, Ginny and Hermione enter. Harry dropped his Jamie Evans disguise as he passed through the doors.

Griphook was about to close the door behind them when Harry asked why he wasn't coming into the room. Griphook replied that he hadn't been invited to be part of the meeting. Harry turned to look at Wrotkill and Ragnorak and asked if Griphook had been replaced as his account manager. When neither replied to the direct question, Harry said 'Good Day' and prepared to leave.

Ragnorak came out from behind his desk and asked Griphook to enter his office. Harry winked at Griphook briefly and then turned to grab the hands of his wife. They took three steps back into the office and bowed once to Wrotkill and then turned to bow deeply to Ragnorak. "Greetings and long suffering to your enemies Ragnorak. May your coffers always overflow."

"May your enemies suffer violent deaths. My respects to your new family High Lord" Ragnorak replied.

Harry threw a questioning glance at Hermione_**. 'You're a High Lord now because you are the head of more than one Ancient and Noble House. Jamiekins.'**_

'_**If I remember my studies that makes you and Ginny Ladies of the Realm then Nonnie.'**_

'_**Oh my…"**_

"Thank you Ragnorak. It is nice to see you again Wrotkill; if you please, I have some separate business of my own to conduct with you this afternoon."

Wrotkill nodded and settled into a chair a few feet away from Ragnorak's desk. Harry saw that Griphook had found a chair and was sitting a little fearfully off to the side of where Harry and the others were sitting. Harry noticed that the younger goblin had a quill and a pad to take notes with.

Ragnorak studied his visitors for a few seconds and growled out a laugh. "Well High Lord, most humans are going to be very confused at the number and variety of titles you hold now. Do you have a favorite yet?"

Harry bared his teeth in the closest he could get to a goblin equivalent of a smile. "I'm remaining Harry to my friends in the goblin nation but Lord Potter will suffice for strangers. The other titles I may choose to use as need dictates."

"A wise decision Harry" Wrotkill said from the side.

"No Bajek today Master Wrotkill?"

"You are certainly not here in the role of an apprentice today. I'll assume your new responsibilities also mean you'll be missing more from learning your craft."

"Gaining a staff is still a priority for me Master Wrotkill. I'll be at Demzelda's as much as my schedule allows."

"And your new wives" Ragnorak stated. "I have seen their names but this is the first time I have met your mates Harry."

"My apologies exalted one. Ragnorak, may I have the pleasure of introducing you to Lady Ginny Weasley Potter and Lady Hermione Granger Potter. Ladies this is Ragnorak Foebiter, leader of the goblins in England and head of Gringotts."

Hermione and Ginny had stood for the introduction and performed their best formal curtseys to Ragnorak. He seemed pleased at the respect the girls displayed.

"joHpu' qaquvmoH." (Greetings honored mates.)

"Ragnorak joH'a qaquvmoH" (Hello High Lord Ragnorak) issued from Hermione's mouth.

"veregan Qang gavan" (Salute, leader of goblins!) came a little hesitantly from Ginny.

"Their accent is as horrible as yours was Harry when you started. But you honor the goblin nation by learning our speech Ladies Potter. We'll stay with English for the rest of this meeting."

Ginny gave a visible sigh of relief at that and then looked nervously at Harry to see if that act had been offensive. Harry just grinned a little and nodded at her. He turned back to Ragnorak. "What business do we have today Ragnorak?"

"First is the change in ownership for the vaults of Slytherin, Kaddle, Gladney and Valcommon. We will need some blood from you and your wives such as you have done before." Ragnorak pointed and Harry saw one of the Gringotts carts in a corner of the room. It was loaded down with one huge book and three books that were definitely smaller and older looking.

Griphook move the cart to Ragnorak's desk and spread the four books out across the desk. Harry stood and came to the edge of the desk. Wrotkill stood and pulled a silver dagger and was surprised how quickly Lady Ginny and Lady Hermione were at Harry's side with wands drawn. Harry shook his head and touched both women briefly. They hid their wands and apologized to Wrotkill.

Wrotkill took the proffered hand Harry held out and made a slash across the ball of his thumb. Harry let a couple of drops of his blood fall on each of the four books and watched as each glowed in return. The procedure was repeated for Ginny and then Hermione and then Wrotkill made a pass with his hand and healed all three of their hands.

Harry and the others sat back down and then Ragnorak motioned for Griphook. "We started a preliminary summary accounting when we were notified of your change of status but we have found a problem in the Slytherin account."

"It seems Slytherin and troubles are best friends. At least for me. What's wrong with that account?"

Griphook looked to Ragnorak who motioned for him to continue. "For the last ten years plus, there has been no individual that could lay claim to the moneys available in Slytherin's vault."

_**('Riddle'**_ thought all three Potters.)

"Yet there have been systematic and deliberate transfers of funds to other people who have accounts here at Gringotts."

"Did the previous account owner set up an endowment or automatic payment that would function if he wasn't present?"

"We are still checking that out Lady Hermione but we will certainly stop any further dispersal of funds from the Slytherin vault."

Harry objected to that. "Hold on that. Do not make any changes now. Could you track any further changes in the account and follow the money? I want to see who has been financed by Salazar Slytherin and his heirs."

'_**Deatheaters?'**_ Ginny exclaimed. _**'That's a great plan Harry.'**_

'_**And you can charge them for stealing from you now.'**_

Ragnorak nodded his head as if he understood Harry's real reason for the request. "Would you like the preliminary summary of accounts for your new vaults now Harry?"

"No just send them along with the others as quarterly reports. I do have one other concern about the Slytherin vault especially."

"What may we help with?"

"The contents. Despite the history and heirlooms that might be present, I want nothing to do with dark objects or books that deal with dark subjects. If you need my permission to enter, seize and dispose of any such dark objects, you have it. I will also gladly pay any fee that you charge for such a service. I wish no other humans or goblins are ever damaged or killed by anything that I have in my possession."

"A prudent and well thought out action. It shall be as you request." Ragnorak paused for a second. "There is still the matter of security for you and your family."

"I'm afraid I don't understand Ragnorak."

"With your new status and holdings, you now own half of Hogwarts as well as being a very, very wealthy wizard. There is also the matter of having a 9 percent holding in Gringotts itself."

"Oh."

"Oh indeed. It is in your best interest and ours to protect you from all threats whether they be human or other."

"What other beings could be interested in Harry's wellbeing? Or lack thereof?"

"It could be werewolves, vampires or other Dark Lords that may arise. And the danger is not just for Harry but for you Lady Ginny and you Lady Hermione."

Harry had grown silent as he suddenly realized that a new type of target had been painted on his and his wives' backs. "What exactly are you proposing Ragnorak?"

"I would like to place a squadron of goblin warriors at your home or at school to guard you."

Harry shook his head. "Thank you but no. We have some of our own measures to guarantee our safety."

"I have no doubt you are a powerful wizard Harry" Wrotkill said. "But power alone does not guarantee success in the face of sheer numbers."

Harry and the girls instantly vanished much to the surprise of all three goblins. They were still standing and staring around the room when the three Potters reappeared. "May I ask a question Ragnorak?"

"Of course Lady Hermione."

"If you needed to go kill a basilisk, how many of your warriors would you send out?"

"Depending on the size of the creature, probably six or eight."

"Harry killed a sixty foot basilisk with a sword about a month ago by himself. How does that rate?"

If any two goblins could look shocked, that would have been Ragnorak and Wrotkill. They had both seen what destructiveness those giant snakes could create.

"Is this true Harry?" Wrotkill asked. "I don't doubt your wife's word but …"

"It wasn't really a sixty foot basilisk. It was…"

"… 58 feet 2 and ½ inches." Ginny giggled to the surprise of Ragnorak. He was just starting to gauge the magical worth of the three humans in front of him.

"And I had a little help from Dumbledore's phoenix who blinded the beast."

Wrotkill walked over to stare up into Harry's face. "You know where there is a basilisk body? Even after a month, there would still be a fortune or two in its remains."

"That was one of our matters of business with you Wrotkill. The salvaging of the body and the prices involved." Harry and Wrotkill both went back to take their seats.

Ragnorak had a strange expression on his face as he regained his seat. "I would like to see this creature you defeated Lord Potter but I am still concerned about your wellbeing."

"That is appreciated Ragnorak but I have no desire to be escorted through the rest of my life, even if it is by a group of the finest warriors in the world. May I offer a compromise instead? Could I be given a means of summoning your squad if the need arrives? That way their time won't be wasted."

"I agree. On the provision that I get to see this basilisk and hear the tale of the battle from your lips."

Harry stood and bowed to Ragnorak. "Your wishes are my desires also. I wished no insult for not extending the invitation to you in the first place and apologize for that oversight."

"I believe your life had been complicated in a variety of ways Harry Potter and I will not delay you any further today. But come back when you have some free time; it is always interesting talking to you."

Harry motioned to Hermione and Ginny to stand, understanding that they been gently dismissed. He and his wives bowed to Ragnorak. "Long life and honor to you and your family Ragnorak."

"May your gold increase with the size of your family Harry."

Harry and his wives followed Wrotkill out of Ragnorak's office and Harry saw that Griphook was wheeling away the cart with his new account books in the other direction. Harry called out and Griphook returned with the cart. "I still have need for you Griphook. Can you wait for me after I get done with Wrotkill?"

"Of course, Lord Harry. I'll place these account books back in their proper place and return." Griphook bowed briefly and turned back to pushing the cart.

The meeting in Wrotkill's office only took about 30 minutes. The goblin wizard was interested in Harry's disappearance and the measure of power that he detected when the three had briefly disappeared. Harry explained about the bond magic marrying the three of them and a little of their time at Griffin's Lair. Wrotkill said he would keep the information to himself and Ragnorak.

When Wrotkill brought up the subject of the basilisk body, Harry explained that it was still underneath Hogwarts. Harry asked how long and how many goblins would be involved in rendering the preserved body down to saleable components. Wrotkill said he would probably supervise a team of six goblins and it might take up to two weeks. Harry asked for two provisions before agreeing on a reasonable price that would be set aside for the compensation account that Harry wanted to create. The first was that a set of three basilisk skin vests would be created for Harry and his new brides.

Hermione and Ginny were happy that Harry had thought of protecting them first but his next request made them confused and slightly angry. "I would like to give Professor Snape limited access to the corpse of the basilisk to collect what samples and ingredients he might want."

'_**Are you crazy?'**_

"_**That sorry git? Harry!'**_

'_**Trying to turn enemies into allies.'**_

Wrotkill noticed the small lag in the conversation and the looks that were briefly exchanged between the three but did say he would honor the requests. Harry said he would have to open up the Chamber for the goblins as it took a Parselmouth and would just like to be notified when Wrotkill and the others were ready. Wrotkill held his reaction to another huge surprise from the young wizard and told Harry that he unfortunately had another appointment now but that he could use his office for his dealings with Griphook.

Harry, Ginny, and Hermione bowed to Wrotkill and exchanged parting salutes with each other. Wrotkill left his office and the Potters had a few minutes of animated discussion about Harry's decisions before Griphook entered.

Sensing a little bit of strain in the room, Griphook asked if they would like a small break before resuming business. Harry had been talking almost steadily since they entered the bank and felt a little out of sorts. He asked if they could have a ten minute break and then Hermione asked Griphook if there were any human facilities in the bank. Griphook volunteered to show Lady Hermione the way and Hermione cast a meaningful glance at Ginny before she followed the goblin out the door.

Ginny saw that Harry was slumped down in his chair and quietly made her way over and tapped him on the shoulder. When Harry looked up, Ginny pointed and asked 'if the seat was available'. Harry grinned and let Ginny slide into his lap and put her arms around his neck.

"Your turn to cheer me up?"

"Hermione actually did have to go but she wanted me to find out what was bothering you."

"Merlin, where do I start? I just got through talking with not only a powerful goblin wizard but the ruler of all the flipping goblins in England. I'm wondering if all the official business I have to do as Lord Gryffindor or Lord Potter or the Earl of Fife and Whatever will let me have some study time or time with you two. And despite how many times we've gone round and round about it, we still haven't come to a decision about whether Harry Potter goes public about his marriages. I love you both but there's…"

"The danger involved" Ginny finished. "And Nonnie and I keep telling you we can protect ourselves and we're confident that you won't let us come to harm."

Ginny watched Harry's reaction to what she said and suddenly realized part of the problem. "Are you too scared and worried about us on top of all the other things going on?"

Harry scrunched up his face in thought and finally nodded. "I didn't get a lot of reassurance from Ragnorak with that offer of a squadron of goblin warriors. I just can't lose you or Hermione now that we've come so far."

Ginny grinned and bent over to whisper in Harry's ear. "Or so many times."

Harry grinned but did look over his glasses at his wife. "You know what I mean."

Ginny nodded but did tighten her grip on Harry. "We'll get back to studying with Remus and determine how much power is in this bond magic. Hermione and I can take meetings for you or in your place if it comes down to it. We'll both make sure that Harry has time to be Harry and not just the person wearing those official hats. Okay?"

"Thanks Ginny. And Hermione if she's listening in too."

"She's not but she has finished in the loo. She and Griphook are heading back here." Ginny pressed herself into Harry and gave him a kiss that made him slightly dizzy. She jumped off of Harry's lap and was sitting quietly in her own chair when Hermione and Griphook reentered the room.

Hermione saw the look on Harry's face and ran her hand across his shoulders before she sat down in the chair on the other side of her husband. Harry shook himself mentally and regarded the goblin who was sitting across the desk from them.

"I unfortunately have a number of requests for you Griphook and hopefully that will be all my business for the summer."

"You are never a bother Lord Harry. It is an honor and pleasure to serve you. What may I do for you?"

"I need two more of those magical/Barclay's credit cards for my lovely wives. And two more of those identification documents that can serve as passport and emergency driving licenses."

"Driving licenses?"

"Yes Ginny, somewhere sometime this summer we're going to start learning how to drive. The three of us."

"Anything else Lord Harry?"

"Not that I can think of. I'd like to go down to the Potter vault once we finish with these requests though. Do either of you ladies have any questions?"

Hermione raised her hand. "Griphook could you tell us something about those three other families or accounts that Harry is now the head of house for? Or something about this Earlship?"

"Of course Lady Hermione. The accounts of Gladney, Kaddle and Valcommon have been inactive for at least 60 years apiece but they all entered into standard alignment and reestablishment contracts with House Potter before the last of the heirs died out. As trustee 'in absentia' for all three accounts, Lord Harry is allowed to make investments to add to the total worth of the Houses but must make up any loses from his personal finances. It's just to make sure that that House was not robbed outright until it was reestablished."

Harry held up a hand. "How did I end up with an Earldom? I understand being a Lord with being the head of an Ancient and Noble House but really – an Earldom?"

"The Earldom has been not been held for over two hundred years and is more a ceremonial title rather than a power-wielding one. When you assumed the title of High Lord by becoming the head of two Noble families, you fulfilled the requirements of becoming the Earl of Fife and Lincolnshire. Gladney and Kaddle traditionally had lands in Lincolnshire while Valcommon held a big holding in Fife County. Potter Manor is rumored to be somewhere within the confines of those two areas."

Harry turned to his companions. "We haven't actually asked any of the house elves where Potter Manor is, have we?"

"No but we have been a little busy with one thing or another."

Griphook stood at the point and said he would be back with the cards and documents in a few minutes. He seemed to hesitate at the door and then turned back. "There will be a list of the properties and other holdings for the four new accounts included in the next reports that will sent to you. I was wondering if you wanted the portkeys now for Slytherin Castle or the Earl's Fasthold?"

'Good grief' Harry thought. 'More wards? Acckk!'

"I will not take the one to Slytherin Castle but I am curious about the one that belongs with the earldom; if it's not too much trouble Griphook."

Griphook bowed briefly and then exited the room. Harry turned and looked at Hermione and Ginny. "Either one of you want to come with me back down to the Potter Vault?"

"Are you looking for anything in particular?"

"No, I just wanted to take another look around. You and Ginny can go shopping if you want and I'll meet you later."

"Are you sure?"

"You two need a little break after putting up… sorry – wrong expression. For having to deal with a twitchy husband around his new in-laws. Where are you going to go?"

Hermione looked at Ginny before she replied for the two of them. "We need to go to the Apothecary for some of 'those' supplies."

"And Hermione wants to go to Flourish and Blotts so we can get our text books for next fall. And see what's new."

"Trying to avoid the rush of seeing Ron already?"

Ginny laughed and Hermione poked her with an elbow. "No Harry; I like Ron and the rest of my new brother-in-laws most of the time but I'm just interested in getting ready. I think our time is precious now and I'd rather spend it with you and Ginny than by myself in the library."

Harry clutched his chest and staggered a bit for effect. "I do believe the world may be coming to an end. The former Miss Granger says there are other places she'd rather be than surrounded by books. The shock to my heart."

Seeing the sour look on Hermione's face, Harry went over and apologized to his brown-haired mate. "Sorry Nonnie, I was just kidding. I can't wait to see what our quarters are going to be at Hogwarts. I'd rather spend time with you two than anything else also. I'm thinking of not playing Quidditch this year because of that."

The cries of 'No' that came from Ginny and Hermione made Harry think about reconsidering that decision. They were prevented from a further discussion (or argument) because Griphook reentered the room at that moment. He was carrying thick envelope and laid it on the desk. The magical credit cards that could also be used in the muggle world were handed out to the two girls. The identification papers that would serve as passports were given to the two girls after another round of blood-dropping.

The girls were smiling as they checked out their new pictures of their passports. Griphook approached Harry a little slowly. "I've made an error Lord Harry and hope you'll forgive me."

"What Griphook?"

"There were two portkeys that went with the Earldom and both are Unplottable. One is label as 'Bolingbroke Castle' and the other was 'Kirkcaldy Lodgling'."

'_**Anybody have a clue what a Lodgling is?'**_

"Thank you Griphook. I think I'm ready to head for the Potter family vault. Would you give me a moment or two with my wives?"

Griphook nodded and bowed toward Ginny and Hermione before leaving the room. Harry turned and hugged his wives briefly. "There, that's all sorted out. You two have a nice time shopping and I'm running down to the vault for a bit and then over to report to Demzelda's to report in to Cafzod. That may take while to tell him all that's been going on. Would you like to meet up at the Leaky Cauldron for lunch?"

"Is 1 o'clock going to give you enough time Harry?"

"I'm not sure; how about 1:30? I don't want to _force_ you to shop longer but Cafzod may have questions."

Ginny just smiled at her husband. "Guess that's just the risk we have to take then." She stood on tiptoe to kiss Harry and waited until Hermione did the same. "We'll see you later Harry."

"Hold up a minute" Harry said. "Your _married_ names on those cards. Use cash from your purses if you can." Both girls came back to hug him again and then hurried out the door.

Harry watched the two exit the room and then followed to join Griphook. There were a few things in the Potter vault that he wanted to relook at while he was at Gringotts and hoped that those jewelry boxes held some things deserving to be worn by his spouses.

Xxxx xxx

It was late after supper and the Potters were sitting out on the bedroom balcony watching Tribe bring the horses into the stable for the night. Most nights the eight horses were left out but there was a feeling of rain and thunderstorms in the air. Harry didn't relish the thought of any of the horses, especially the big pair of Percherons, being left outside in those conditions. He tried to remember that he wanted to go down and see how the hippogriff was getting on tomorrow. Everybody else had gone down to see the cross between a lion and an eagle and he didn't want to miss seeing him before it was healed up and released back out onto the wild.

Hermione straightened up with a small sigh and leaned to give Harry a kiss. "I'll see you two later. I'm off to my room for a bit."

"Is there a problem Hermione? Did I go off and do something stupid again?"

Hermione smiled and ruffled up Harry's hair. "No, of course not. Remember we needed to go to the apothecary shop? We needed it quicker than I thought. I'm lying down and reading while Ginny will drag you kicking and screaming to bed tonight."

"Are you sure? We can both give you a backrub or just cuddle up with you."

"Maybe later Harry – I'll come back in for the group cuddle and go to sleep then."

Hermione turned to give Ginny a hug and then made her way off the balcony to the spare room next to the master.

Harry sat back down on the bench and Ginny wasted no time in climbing across his lap to face him. She bent down to kiss his forehead, his nose and then his lips.

"Does your mother know you accost perfect strangers like this Mrs. Potter?"

"Let's see. No, I don't think so. But you are strange and I think you're perfect. Does that qualify?"

Harry chuckled. "Did your Mum or Dad say anything, well, unusual to you before they left this morning?"

"Come to think of it, Dad did say I should remember to stick to my guns. Why?"

"I think Tony and Dee had a word or two with your parents about what they think we've been up to." Harry told her what Molly had said to him this morning and Ginny broke up laughing on Harry's lap.

Harry didn't quite break down but he held Ginny by the hips as she shook. "After all the times Mum said I was to remain chaste and careful around boys. I guess it's different now that I'm actually married. It's a good thing Mum loved you before all this started."

"Did she actually say that? I got the impression she would rather see me use my wand with my teeth because my hands would be in peril if I touched you the wrong way."

"Maybe but that was then. Speaking about wands and touching…" Ginny dropped her bottom so that it rested solidly on Harry's lap. She moved it around a little bit and watched Harry's eyes light up as she got the reaction she was hoping for.

"That give you any ideas Mr. Potter?"

"Yes but as least one of us is overdressed."

Ginny reached both hands to her hem of her top, stripped it off and threw if back toward the doors of the bedroom. Harry bent down to nuzzle the cleavage of her black and white checked bra. "Do I need a bath?"

"Probably later" Harry said as Ginny unbuttoned his shirt and helped him remove it. "Is that a new bra?"

"No, just one you haven't seen before." Ginny brought Harry's head down a little so he could see that this bra fastened, and more importantly, unfastened in the front. Harry wasted no time in unhooking the latch and slowly peeled both sides back to reveal the puckering rosebuds of her nipples.

Ginny gasped as Harry kissed his way from one shoulder to another across her chest and around her throat. His hands were busy kneading her breasts and causing her to squirm even harder against Harry's groin.

Finally pushing Harry's head up, Ginny flattened her chest against Harry's and murmured her love into his ear. She very carefully got to her feet and held out her hand. "Can you stand in those very tight pants Harry or do I have to help you out of them?"

Harry looked around the balcony and cast a Notice-me-Not spell Hermione had taught them. "Since you caused the tight pants problem Vixen, you can help me out of them. If you want."

"I want." Ginny went to her knees and reached for Harry's belt buckle. She unfastened it and lowered his zipper. Harry obligingly raised his hips and Ginny pulled his pants down past his knees. Harry kicked off his trainers and Ginny finished removing his pants. Harry stood and Ginny grinned up at him before lowering his underwear so he could step out of them. Harry held out his hand and Ginny came to her feet to lean up and kiss his lips.

Harry bent down kiss her one nipple and then the other. He bent further to lick Ginny's belly button which caused her to both giggle and draw in a sharp breath. He went to his knees and continued to kiss across her stomach as he reached for the zipper on the side of her skirt.

Leaning back on his heels, Harry lowered both her skirt and knickers and left them on the ground at her feet. All the while they just looked into each other's eyes while they continued to move. Ginny put her hands on Harry's shoulders and he leaned in and kissed her stomach five or six times. Little kisses that circled her navel but caused her to become a little weak in the knees.

Ginny's eyes popped open as Harry put both his hands on her bum and pulled her closer to him. She was pulled closer and closer by Harry's strong hands to the point where she knew what he was going to do next. "Should we… do you want to go inside Harry?"

Harry couldn't quite tell if she was nervous or didn't have the coherence to form a proper thought. "Maybe in a minute; I'm not quite finished yet."

Ginny never had a chance to ask what he wasn't finished with. Harry brought her right into contact with him and he licked downward across the tuft of bright hair and into her little button and folds. Ginny let out a small gasp of surprise and wonder as Harry's tongue explored places that touched her sensitive nerves. She had to hold onto Harry's shoulders to keep her balance.

He continued his kissing and licking until Ginny was reduced to a limp bundle that slumped against his shoulder after her release. Harry leaned back and Ginny happily bent down to kiss his dripping but grinning face.

"All right there Vixen?"

"I can honestly say 'Never Better' Jamie."

"Good then you won't mind if I do this." Harry braced one knee and stood with Ginny draped over his shoulder once again. She giggled and decided not to fight her husband just this once as she had an excellent view of his naked bum as he carried her across the balcony and into the bedroom.

When Hermione finished her reading and found them an hour later, she just kissed the sleeping pair gently, climbed up into bed beside Harry and drew the covers up over them all.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 –Some Memories Never Fade

The screaming woke them up a little after 2 in the morning. It wasn't one of Ginny's bad memories of Tom Riddle's possession this time. It was Harry who came awake shaking and calling out as he relived the whole encounter with his parents from Voldemort's point of view. His shouts… no, his screaming even brought Llasol and Knop to the private master bedroom.

Ginny and Hermione were holding Harry, rocking him between them and they turned to glare at the two house elves. "Not now! Llasol, bring some chamomile tea in fifteen minutes."

Llasol bowed and Knop just vanished as he heard the anguish and power in those few words from Lady Hermione. Knop went to the kitchen and watched as Llasol began making preparations for the tea that the ladies had requested. For once, Knop had no bad thoughts or words about the behavior of the Lord and Ladies he thought he was overseeing. He started reconsidering his attitude toward the three of them. If they had seen or experienced something so dreadful to cause such pain to the new Lord then maybe Knop had been hasty in his judgment of them all. He sat back and explored those thoughts for a long time.

Harry had taken a long time to finally become awake enough or aware enough that he felt the mental connection and physical presence of Ginny and Hermione. He was still gasping, trying to catch his breath, when the girls felt his mental barriers finally lower and he opened his eyes. Harry shook his head once and then buried it again, crying into Ginny's neck. Hermione kept rubbing his back for another couple of minutes until Harry slowly sat up.

"I… I was there… I saw. I was Voldemort and heard and felt how the unforgiveable curse was cast. Three times… my dad didn't even get his wand raised before I kil.."

"No, you did not kill him Harry. It was Tom; it was all Tom. Remember all the things you've been telling me since we left the Chamber. It wasn't you and you're not responsible!"

Harry's cheeks were running with tears and Hermione brushed then off with her hands and then kissed them off with her lips. "It wasn't you. You love your parents – you wouldn't do it."

"But I saw it Hermione - it felt it just like I was doing it myself."

Ginny had slipped behind Harry and had him lean back into her chest as Hermione knelt before him on the bed. Harry tried to calm his runaway heartbeat as he tried to banish the images of the nightmare. Ginny put her arms around his chest to hug him and Hermione rearranged herself so that she could hold onto Harry's hands.

Finally losing the panic and desperation in his eyes Harry relaxed and brought Hermione's hand up to kiss it. "I'm sorry. I should have tried to stop it.. or tried to get out of the memory. I've done it before."

Seeing the looks they both were giving him, Harry tried to explain. Before he could get a word out, there was a knock on the door, and a hesitant Llasol poke her head around the edge of the door and asked if she could come in. Ginny nodded and Llasol placed the tea set on the table. She hesitated for a second but asked Harry if he was really ok.

"Physically I'm fine Llasol. I just had a really bad dream and it scared me a lot. Thank you for the tea."

Llasol bowed to the three again and vanished after another concerned look to her master. Hermione went and poured a cup of tea for Harry. She was going to hand it to him but waited to see if his hands were still shaking. Harry grabbed the cup with two hands however and sipped it carefully.

Ginny and Hermione both grabbed a cup and came back to sit beside Harry on one of the couches. There was a gathering silence that crept up and surrounded the three. The awkwardness between them grew and stretched until Harry put down his drained cup with a serious clank.

"I promised to talk about this with you and I haven't yet. I'm sorry."

"We know how difficult this is for you Harry. It's July 2nd now; only a little over a month since the Chamber and a few weeks since we got here to the Manor. We've never pushed or asked. Ginny's still dealing with her experiences too."

"I was hoping that my 'leftover' from Tom would have gone away as we got father away from fighting and defeating him. Instead…"

"…you're memories are just as fresh as mine have been" a subdued Ginny whispered.

"Have the meditation sessions helped either of you at all?"

Two shrugs answered Hermione's question. Ginny leaned across Harry to touch Hermione's hand. "I'm finding it easier to fight off the memories of what Tom did to me and others but they still catch me unawares somedays and I get feeling helpless all over again."

Harry reached an arm out and brought Ginny closer to his side. "And she's only dealing with one year. I've got most if not all of Tom's memories. They're a jumble all mixed up with my memories and there's flashes of everything from Tom and Dumbledore meeting in an orphanage until – well, what I 'saw' happen tonight."

Hermione looked at her spouses and wished she knew what else she could do to rid them of these hurtful burdens. She didn't think Obliviating could be that specific but maybe she could talk to Tonks the next time the auror visited. "I don't know what to say to either of you; I suspect that only Dumbledore might know some way to get those memories out of your heads. It's a good thing we're going to Hogwarts this afternoon for the basilisk."

Harry shook his head. "I'm not sure why both of you insist on going back there. I've certainly have no desire to visit a place that contains such bad memories. If I hadn't managed to get in a lucky shot, we might all be dead."

"But you did get that marvelous thrust in Harry and I for one want to go back and kick that slimy body at least one more time for attacking you."

Harry gently ruffled up Ginny's hair and kissed her and then turned to Hermione. "And your reasons Nonnie?"

"I'm not going to leave you two to go on without me. Besides, I want to hear Professor Snape come out and admit you did something nice for the school and him in getting basilisk parts."

Harry smiled for the first time since he had woken everyone else up so violently. "I'm sure it he says anything, it'll be a backhanded compliment. Sort of like this…"

Professor Snape's voice came out of Harry's mouth and Ginny shrank away in spite of herself. "Of course one cannot expect a person of Mr. Potter's troublesomeness to do anything right. Only a sixty foot basilisk – how disappointing. One roll of parchment on how much more basilisk venom and parts night have been available if you had killed a decent sized monster Mr. Potter."

Hermione giggled and then Harry and Ginny joined in. "You best make sure he never overhears you doing that impression Harry. You'd be stuck in his office doing detentions for weeks."

Ginny smiled and then got an evil grin on her face. "If he needs something written about how much size matters Jamie? I definitely have become an expert on that over the last month."

"Me too. I've gotten considerable experience too. Hands on, you might say Or is it word of mouth? I keep forgetting."

Harry's jaw dropped and he suddenly grabbed both girls around their waists and started tickling them. They rolled off the couch together and the laughing grew in volume until the sound was replaced by slow kisses.

Harry and the girls made their way back to the bed and sleep about fifteen minutes later with all the bad memories of Harry's nightmare temporarily forgotten.

Xxxx xxxx

The green flames flared up and three visitors emerge from the fireplace in Dumbledore's office. Harry looked around once and was grateful that for once he was still standing. He had his arms locked with his wives and they kept him steady as they looked around.

Dumbledore had a few visitors in his office besides Professor McGonagall but Harry never really had a chance to identify them before he was rushed by two other females. Ginny and Hermione stepped nimbly aside to the confusion of their husband. With a cry of "Harry!" Myrtle came up and attempted to hug the stuffing out of her friend. Harry folded his arms around the ghost's shoulders in what he hoped was a reassuring gesture.

"Hi Myrtle. I'm glad to see you but I wasn't sure if you would still be here when we got back. There was a definite possibility that you might have passed on with the death of the monster and the person that controlled it."

"I couldn't go away without thanking you for everything. Do you think Ginny and Hermione would mind if I went home with the three of you? I'm sure you have need for a silent partner wherever you are."

Harry stammered for a minute and looked around to see that Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall had their hands in front of their faces trying to hide their smiles. Ginny finally coughed and waved Myrtle over to where Hermione and she were standing. Harry had barely caught his breath from that encounter when he was tapped on the shoulder by someone else.

"I can give you a proper hug Harry but I think you deserve so much more." Vika had a big smile on her face as she hugged Harry and lifted him completely off the floor.

"So how are things going for Lord Gryffindor-Slytherin these days?"

Harry looked around to see if anyone else had heard what she had said but no one was staring overtly at them. "How did you know about that other title Vika?"

Vika cocked her head to the side and just grinned. She picked up the hand that was wearing the (invisible) Slytherin House ring and bobbed her head briefly in a measure of respect. Harry understood the spirit of Hogwarts would definitely recognize one of the Founder's heirs. She had known about Harry being the Heir of Gryffindor even before Harry had known.

"I've taken Myrtle down to the Chamber Harry to view the monster. She was reluctant to go at first but I assured her that there was no further danger to her. She cried a lot when she saw the Basilisk but I think she was more concerned about your safety than anything else. I held her as we both read that marvelous letter you wrote."

"I had a lot of help from Fawkes" Harry shyly said.

"So I've heard but don't sell yourself short. Godric was very impressed by your actions. He'd like to see you and your better halves today if you can manage it."

"I've missed visiting him. I'll definitely make time to see him. Are you coming down with us?"

"I'm not really sure. The Headmaster has asked me if I would do shuttle duty back and forth if it was needed. Confidentially, I don't think Professor McGonagall wants to try that slide you rode down in the last time."

Harry smiled. "I can sympathize with that. It wasn't too nice for me the last time. Maybe the girls would like an easier trip with you than what I'm going to do."

Harry was about to say something else but there came three soft gongs that sounded in Dumbledore's office. Vika looked around and then led Harry back toward his wives. "Incoming visitors" she whispered.

With a small crash of thunder Ragnorak and Wrotkill appeared suddenly in the middle of Dumbledore's office. Harry grabbed Vika's hand and pulled her into a small bow with him. Ragnorak nodded to Harry and the four ladies clustered around him and went over to talk to Dumbledore. Wrotkill walked over to Harry and Ginny and Hermione curtsied again to the goblin sorcerer.

Wrotkill looked up at the faces of Ginny, Hermione, Vika and Myrtle. He pulled on Harry's sleeve and barked out a laugh. "You have been a busy wizard Bajek. Doubling the size of your harem in a few short weeks?"

Harry's mouth opened but nothing came out for a few seconds. Ginny and Hermione roared with laughter and Vika mischievously leaned in to kiss Harry's reddened cheek.

Harry finally found his voice. "You must be having sport with me Master Wrotkill. My two lovely witches are more than enough for me. May I present Vika and Myrtle Beechwood, a resident of Hogwarts for 50 years."

Wrotkill inclined his head acknowledging Myrtle but stopped when he looked at Vika. "You're one of Harry's more unusual acquaintances, aren't you?"

"Actually your grace, Harry is more my uncle than anything else." Wrotkill raised an eyebrow but just looked at his sometimes apprentice.

Dumbledore raised his voice to get everyone's attention. "I see we are all here. Let's proceed down to the entrance where Professor Snape is waiting for our arrival." Dumbledore walked out the door talking with Ragnorak and a strange procession followed along behind them. Professor McGonagall fell in with Ginny and Hermione and the three witches began talking about their fall classes. Wrotkill seemed fascinated with the magical Vika and asked her many questions on their way to the second floor. That left Harry to follow up with Myrtle. She asked many questions about the fight with the basilisk but Harry said he would describe the battle for Wrotkill and Ragnorak once they arrived in the Chamber. Myrtle switched over to asking questions about Harry's married life which rapidly either had him laughing or blushing to match Ginny's hair color.

Professor Snape was pacing anxiously when everyone arrived in the girls' loo. He seemed anxious to get to work as he carried a very large satchel in one hand. He acknowledged Dumbledore and performed the briefest of courtesies to Ragnorak and Wrotkill. The goblins were a little surprised to find that the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets was in a bathroom but Harry suspected that they were getting a little used to uncommon events happening when it concerned him.

Harry looked at the anxious faces staring around him but launched into a brief summary of how he had found the answer to the petrified students and how Myrtle had been helpful to him in opening the doorway to the Chamber. Myrtle had tried hiding behind Hermione but Vika succeeded in pulling her out in front of the crowd. Not delaying any longer Harry went to the stone sink and felt for the small carving of a snake on it. Harry stepped back two steps and called out in Parseltongue. {OPEN!}

There was a solid click of machinery (or magic) and the portion of the wall sank into the floor. The blackness in the space hidden revealed a wide tube that led downward. Harry spoke up then. "It's about a five minute slide down the tube to another doorway that needs to be opened by a Parseltongue to enter the Chamber of Secrets."

Fawkes startled everyone present by flying out of the tube and circling in the tight space of the bathroom. Dumbledore spoke up then and addressed his visitors. "For the less adventurous of us, Fawkes and Vika have offered their assistance in traveling directly to the Chamber. But I think we should let Mr. Potter proceed us as he was the one to open the way. Which way do you want to go Harry?"

Harry felt Ginny come up to his side and take his hand. "I think Mrs. Potter would like to try the slide with me. Hermione?"

"I'll let Vika shuttle me down Harry. My stomach is still a little iffy. You two have some fun."

Professor Snape made a slightly rude sound when Harry said 'Mrs. Potter' so Harry turned and he and Ginny went over to have a brief word with the potion master. Hermione cast a privacy ward around them when they started talking.

"Professor Snape, I really don't care how you address me but you will have some respect toward both my wives. Is that understood or would you rather stay up here instead of collecting what you can get from the Basilisk?"

Professor Snape just stared for a while at the student in front of him. "I thought it was Lord Gryffindor's permission I received to enter the Chamber of Secrets and collect these rare treasures?"

Harry dropped his appearance of his younger self and literally grew in size before the potions master. "It was and I can withdraw it just as quickly."

Snape's eyebrows rose as he saw the change and started suspecting that there were a few new facts in his life. "My apologies Lady…?"

"Potter, Professor but that is subject to change when we get to your class in the fall."

"Of course. Might I 'ask' that the three of you come and see me in my office before classes resume?"

"You may ask of course Professor." Ginny shook her head and started again. "I'm sorry Professor Snape, I meant no disrespect. We will come and see you when you wish. Just send an owl."

Professor Snape nodded and Harry and Ginny headed back to the ramp. Wrotkill stepped up and placed a pin on Harry's shirt. "If you will just tap this once when you arrive next to the Basilisk. Ragnorak and I will be able to find the magical signal and follow it to you."

Harry nodded his understanding and then he and Ginny stepped up to the edge of the tube. "We'll see everyone in a few minutes." The two jumped into the blackness with lit wands and it wasn't long before the rest of the people heard screams of fun and delight coming from the blackness.

Snape shook his head in exasperation but Hermione's voice spoke up. "Those two especially deserve to have some fun after what they've went through."

Harry and Ginny had a blast sliding down the tunnel. It was a much different ride from what Harry had undertook before. This time he knew his destination and that no dangers awaited him. Having Ginny along was another bonus; Harry tucked her in front of him and the two laughed and screamed together as they went through the many convolutions of the long slide. Harry, of course, was not above stealing a kiss or two along the way or finding other ways to hold on to the girl in front of him.

Ginny was breathless but laughing as they landed rolling on the sandy floor at the bottom of the slide. She stood up dusting herself off and then jumped up into Harry's arms. "That was brilliant. We ought to show the twins."

"No, you know that they would just sell tickets for that as a ride to as many students as they could."

"Yes, but can we at least come back and do that again?"

Harry nodded and then grew serious. "I'm sure it's off that way." The two walked hand in hand down the short passageway for a few minutes and passed through the other doorway. Harry paused once they came to the Chamber of Secrets and made sure that Ginny was ok. She was trembling just the littlest bit but Harry saw that she was determined to continue.

Harry called on some of the bond magic and the torches that surrounded the Chamber flared up casting shadows across the floor again. Ginny clutched his hand and she called up a few more torches to totally light up the room. They walked silently to the body of the Basilisk and just stared at it for a bit. Ginny left Harry's side and walked slowly around the body of the beast until she had circled it completely. "It's bigger than I remember."

"Not for me" Harry said quietly. Ginny knew that he still had nightmares about his encounter with the monster and most of them ended up with Harry losing and all of them dying. She hoped seeing it this way would help stop those awful dreams. She made Harry watch her go over to kick the body and Harry responded with a good laugh.

Harry tapped the pin that Wrotkill had given him. Wrotkill and Ragnorak silently appeared next to Harry but immediately were transfixed by the sight and size of the dead Basilisk. Fawkes appeared with Dumbledore and disappeared with a flash as the headmaster released his tail feathers. Vika appeared with Professor Snape who just stared at the way she had wrapped herself on his arm. She waved at Harry and Ginny and disappeared briefly to bring Professor McGonagall and Myrtle to the Chamber. Hermione was the last to arrive as Fawkes flashed into the Chamber carrying her. The phoenix flew around the room once singing and then landed on one of the pylons. He appeared to go back to sleep but Harry suspected he was just listening to the conversations.

Harry had wandered away from the body and found both the broken fang and the ruined diary that used to contain the vile memory of young Tom Riddle. He picked them up from the floor and went back to stand next to Dumbledore. Professor Snape and Wrotkill seemed to be in some sort of discussion and Harry cleared his throat before it escalated into something a little less friendly. "Is there a problem there?"

"Just a disagreement about the specifics of the agreement."

Ginny muttered something rude and lifted Harry's hand up high. The sword of Godric Gryffindor vanished from the side of the basilisk and appeared in Harry's hand.

'_**What did you do that for Ginny?'**_

Vika's voice echoed around the chamber. "I trust that neither Harry nor I will HAVE to come over there and settle this."

Both Wrotkill and Professor Snape had the grace to appear apologetic in the face of two possibly powerfully annoyed persons. Ragnorak laughed out loud at the two and the horrid sound caused both Hermione and Professor McGonagall to flinch briefly.

"Harry, you promised me a tale of the battle." Ragnorak waved his hand and a number of stools and chairs appeared in the chamber. Harry was pulled into the widest of the chairs by Hermione and Ginny and he waited until everyone (except Myrtle) found a seat.

Scratching his head once, Harry began his tale. He held up the ruined diary. "This whole disastrous year started back in Diagon Alley last fall with an insult from a pureblood wizard to one of my very best friends and sometimes fiancée Ginny Weasley."

The tale took most of an hour and there were cries of consternation and shock about the Chamber of Secrets and the series of events that led to Harry entering the Chamber to rescue the girls. Hermione, Ginny and Dumbledore contributed parts of the story as Harry paused for breath or to organize his thoughts.

The fight with the Basilisk seemed to take on a life of its own as Harry explained what happened when a young Voldemort called the beast to appear from the mouth of the huge statue of Salazar Slytherin. Fawkes left his perch to fly to the back of Harry's chair as Harry describe the aid the phoenix had given him by blinding the basilisk.

It was a totally rapt audience that followed Harry's description of how he had called for the sword and what had happened after he received it. The lopping off of the section of the tail, the escape from the frantic lunges of the beast, the taunts that were made to him by the monster's master. Even Vika had a tight hold of Hermione's hand as Harry describe how he had thought of a weakness to the almost indestructible skin of the snake and how he waited for just the right moment to thrust the sword through the roof of the basilisk's mouth and up through its brain.

It was a tearful Hermione that continued the tale of the broken fang and poisoning of Harry and his being healed by Fawkes tears. Ginny's voice held a bit of pride as she related how Harry had finished off Voldemort and saved both her and Hermione by stabbing the diary with the basilisk fang.

There was a long stretch of silence afterwards as everyone digested the story of how a twelve year old had managed to kill a monster of unbelievable size and power and rescue both girls from death.

It was Ragnorak that stood first and strode over to stand in front of Harry. Harry stood up nervously but something totally unexpected happened. Ragnorak clapped Harry with both hands to his shoulders and then brought his head down a little to butt Harry's head with his own. "You are a true and valiant warrior Harry Potter. The goblin nation will come defend you when called."

Harry rubbed his head but bowed back in respect to the goblin. Not exactly knowing how to respond Harry said the first thing to come to his mind. "As I shall be available should the goblin nation need me."

Ragnorak's eyes widened but he nodded his head seriously at Harry's statement. He turned to make a wide bow that encompassed Dumbledore, Ginny and Hermione and silently vanished.

Harry sat back down and rubbed his head some more. "That hurt."

Dumbledore walked over and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I think you just received a rare and distinct compliment Harry. The goblins do not think very much of the fighting skills of humans; Ragnorak must have been very impressed to act so."

"Well, next time he's impressed I'll let Draco Malfoy accept the honor for me."

Ginny giggled beside him but rubbed his neck with one hand. A little bit of bond magic passed between them and the pain in Harry's head faded away. _**'Thanks Ginny.'**_

'_**I have to get back into healing mode sometime or other. I've got to get my student discount you know.'**_ Harry saw the wink Ginny gave him and smiled.

Harry saw that Wrotkill and Professor Snape had gone back to pointing at the basilisk and waving their arms around. Harry groaned once again but Dumbledore spoke up. "Would you mind if I settled this dispute Harry? You're technically still an underling to both of them and I believe you don't want either to think you're playing favorites."

Harry nodded gratefully. He watched as Dumbledore walked away to try mediating the misunderstanding between the wizard and goblin. Harry took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes wearily. He looked up to see Professor McGonagall standing before him. "I'm not sure whether I should award points or give you some detentions Mr. Potter. You should have waited for some support but I can understand your reason for hurrying. If you have some time, another day, Vika and Albus have managed some sort of married living quarters that your wives mothers might not object to. We should have a meeting between all the staff and your family before schools starts up. It has been many years since we had married people attending classes."

"Thank you for all the help you provided to us last year, professor."

"It wasn't nearly enough I'm afraid but we shall try to do better. Could you stand for a second Harry?"

Harry was surprised that Minerva McGonagall initiated a hug with him. It went against most of the rules Harry knew that the professor enforced. "Take good care of your family Harry."

"I intend to… Minerva. Thank you. I will never embarrass you with that name in public."

"You had better not Mr. Potter. I believe I've had enough of the gloom and creatures here. " The steely gaze of the transfiguration professor had returned but Harry saw a small upturn at the corner of her mouth. He did a deep bow and watched as McGonagall walked back to have Vika return her to the school proper. The two disappeared but Vika returned almost immediately to start talking to Ginny and Hermione again.

Harry was a little restless and walked over to stand before the giant statue of Salazar Slytherin. He wondered as he looked at the giant face whether the founder had ever known how much dissension would live on many centuries after he left Hogwarts and disappeared. Harry was still lost in thought as Myrtle, Ginny and Hermione walked over to join him.

Hermione nudged Harry gently. _**'I'm not sure anybody but me and Ginny notices but your Slytherin ring is glowing.' **_Harry glanced down and saw that his latest ring was pulsing softly. He cleared his mind and tried touching the magic that was infused with the ring; it was very different from how the Gryffindor ring felt. Both Dumbledore and Vika were in the process of coming over to talk to Harry and saw the way he was looking at the ring.

"Something troubling you Harry?"

"I'm not exactly sure headmaster. The Slytherin ring just started glowing for no reason. There's some magic or maybe relic of magic here if I can trust my feelings. I just don't have a good idea about what is taking place here."

"Is there any sort of direction you can associate with this feeling Harry."

Harry held his hand up and turned slowly in a circle. "No, not really."

Dumbledore thought for a minute. "Perhaps an indirect approach would work better. Could you take that ring off and make it float in midair?"

Nodding Harry took the ring off his finger and called on some of the bond magic to make it float in front of him. The activity had caught the attention of Snape and Wrotkill. They suspended their measurements of the basilisk to come over and see what was happening on the other side of the room.

Dumbledore looked down at the boy wizard. "Do you know the discovery spell Harry?"

"No… but Hermione does. I can cast it now. Thank you Mrs. Potter."

Harry pulled out his wand (for the benefit of Professor Snape) and cast the spell on his ring. He wondered briefly if anyone else besides Ginny and Hermione would be able to affect the House ring. "_Deprehendere Quosum_."

The Slytherin ring spun three times and then moved purposely through the air away from marble statue. Harry followed it and a curious mix of humans, a ghost and a goblin sorcerer followed him. The ring eventually hesitated before a squared off protrusion in the side wall about forty feet away from the statue. The ring jumped once and flew right into the wall but was stopped by the rocks. It fell but Harry managed to catch it before it hit the floor. Harry looked at the wall but couldn't detect anything physically or magically different about it. He placed the ring back on his finger and cast a bewildered look at the group behind him.

"I believe this might be an area I can help with Harry." Vika came up to place her hands on the section of the wall. "This isn't like the other sections of the Chamber; other walls were created here to hide or guard something."

When Dumbledore asked Vika is she could be more specific, she just said that it involved some old magic and that its original purpose had been served and was no longer needed.

Wrotkill asked Myrtle if she would go through the wall to see what was there but Harry spoke out at once. "There may be other traps or evil guardians left here. I don't want anyone placed in danger; Myrtle's already done enough. I vote we leave this alone."

Vika shook her head. "It's very important that we find out what's here. I'm going to try pulling the wall down."

Dumbledore reached out a hand to stop Vika's before she did anything rash. "Stop please. Let's take some precautions at least; I'll try to remove the false wall. Harry could you and your wives provide one of those wonderful shields?"

Harry nodded and he, Ginny, and Hermione reached for some of the bond magic. A shield sprang up between the wall and the visitors to the Chamber. Wrotkill seemed to be gauging the strength of the gold-flecked shield but everyone else was watching Dumbledore's actions.

Harry never heard the incantation Dumbledore used but the sweeping wand motion had an immediate effect on the wall. It seemed to melt like hot butter; dissolving and vanishing from the top down to reveal what was hidden behind it.

A niche was carved into the real wall with a simple bronze plaque above the indentation. Harry saw there was an obscuring spell of some sort but what he saw next caused chills to race up and down his spine.

Hermione and Ginny screamed as a body tumbled out from the middle of the dissolving wall. It seemed to be a young man but as the body hit the ground it aged and was quickly reduced to bones and rags which then vanished as the body totally disintegrated. A white mist coalesced over that spot in the floor and the group saw a ghost emerge as the last traces of the body totally vanished. It had the appearance of the young man's body that they all had briefly seen.

The ghost was still looking around but his attention seemed to be focused on the niche that was revealed by Dumbledore's spell. The phantom seemed to be in his late teens or early twenties and seemed very composed for someone that had just become a ghost. He was of medium build but had sun bleached brown hair that fell to his shoulders. He was dressed in dark hose but had a long grey coverlet with a leather belt around his waist. His eyes were dark almost cobalt blue and seemed to be taking everyone's measure at a glance.

Vika stepped through Harry's shield to approach the newly created ghost. Harry held his breath and wondered if the ghost would try to attack Vika. She was powerful but the spell that had held that body intact in or behind the wall could not have been a benevolent sort.

"Hello" Vika began cautiously. "Do you know where you are?"

The ghost spun around at the sound of her voice and noticed all the people that were standing and staring at him. He visibly cringed and looked around for some means of escape.

A sad but accusing voice came from the ghost. "Are you friends of those vile wizards that brought me here to this dungeon?"

Harry dropped the shield he had been maintaining. Dumbledore stepped forward and curiously Myrtle drifted forward to listen to the frightened young man ghost. "We mean you no harm, I promise you" the headmaster said. "What's your name and what do you remember about coming here?"

The ghost stared down at his body and his hands especially before he replied. "My name is…. was Jo… Joshua Valcommon."

Harry looked at the ghost with some surprise. Valcommon was the name of one of those vanished families that he was supposed to reestablish. What a strange coincidence.

Dumbledore turned and introduced the group of individuals to the ghost. Joshua stared at the goblin very suspiciously but was gracious and bowed to all the ladies. Ginny noticed that Myrtle especially was captivated by the young lad.

The ghost had continued his tale, disregarding Harry's reaction. "I was an apprentice cooper under Master Hamilton in Hogsmeade. I was returning from fetching some coal and other fire supplies for the shop one evening when I was met on the road by two wizards. I greeted them kindly because the folks from Hogsmeade and the school of Hogwarts were usually friendly towards one another. They spoke not a word but one pulled a wand and muttered a spell. I remember nothing of what happened afterward but I awoke paralyzed in this chamber. The crypt had already been laid and I heard the two wizards plotting my demise. To my horror, I was to serve at the sacrifice to ensure that no one would ever find the wizard who had died and was buried here. As long as the guardian of the Chamber of Secrets was alive, I would be the glue that held their master's secret."

Ginny pressed her hand into Harry's_**. 'You defeated the guardian; the spell must have been cancelled then.'**_

Everyone had peered around or across the ghost to see the niche that was carved into the wall. What everyone saw was a crystal box. What was in the box was…

Professor Snape fell to his knees in shock. "It is Salazar Slytherin. This is his final resting place!" There was shock and awe in his voice as the founder of his house supposedly had abandoned the school and disappeared to what and where no one knew. The bronze plaque above the burial niche was simple.

"**Here lie the physical remains of Salazar Slytherin. Master Wizard, Founder of Hogwarts, Defender of Magical Rights." **

Joshua looked weary and tired. "I was still alive when those two apprentices or friends of the master wizard created that false wall with me in the middle of it. I do not know how long my body and mind lasted in that darkness before death overtook me. I only know that I became aware again when I was just freed. How… long has it been? How many years have passed?"

It was Hermione that spoke. "The current year is 1993 I'm afraid."

"I was looking forward to a date with my girlfriend the next New Year's Eve – it would have been the welcoming in of the year – 1038." The ghost sank to his knees crying as he realized his plight. Vika, Myrtle and Dumbledore rushed forward to help console the young appearing entity.

Harry 'asked' both Ginny and Hermione to stay with Wrotkill and he stepped carefully over to where Professor Snape was still staring at the crypt of one of the school founders.

"Professor Snape?" Harry asked cautiously.

"What do you want now Potter?" Snape shook his head. "I apologize… Lord Gryffindor. You had a question?"

"I'm still that bumbling Harry Potter you like to give demerits to. I wanted to know if you wanted this discovery made public or the body moved to wherever the other founders are buried?"

"Why are you asking me this Mr. Potter?"

"As head of his house and the most knowledgeable about the history and traditions associated with Salazar Slytherin – you are the one _most qualified_ to make decisions of this nature. He may deserve some acclaim and a formal recognition even after all these years. I'm sure the Ministry of Magic and the many alumni of Slytherin House would like to know his final resting place. To come and place their respects if for nothing else."

Professor Snape stared with some wonder at the young man he had previously mistreated. It was a respectful and serious consideration from Harry about someone that had been a traditional enemy of anyone in Gryffindor.

"Lord Slytherin chose the manner and placement of his resting place; I do not think anything would be gained by moving him. The matter of telling others is an idea I may have to ponder over a glass or two of firewhiskey. It is a momentous discovery."

Harry nodded as if he understood the dilemma that the discovery of the body posed. He had been in the same quandary with the finding of Godric's chamber and picture.

"I will tell Wrotkill that he and the other goblins may not approach this area of the cave. For the time being though…" Harry gathered up some of the bond magic and closed his eyes. What happened next astonished Professor Snape and had Wrotkill and Dumbledore turning at the amount of magic that appeared in the Chamber.

A semi-circle of torches suddenly came into being in mid-air around the crypt. Each silver torch was about 2 feet high and burned with a bright green flame that threw an eerie light on the crypt. The seal of Slytherin House appeared as a large carving in the floor at the foot of the wall beneath the resting place of the dead founder. Harry went to one knee in a gesture of respect and then retreated to go find his wives.

"Mr. Potter!" Harry turned at the suddenly loud voice of Severus Snape. The potions professor strode up and looked down his nose at the young man. "Thank you… Harry. That was a most appropriate memorial. I would consider it an honor if you would come to my chambers and have a glass of firewhiskey with me sometime."

Harry nodded but tried to keep his voice level. "Thank you for the invitation Professor Snape but I'm pretty sure my wives would object to me getting drunk. Perhaps a butterbeer instead with a long conversation?"

To the astonishment of Ginny and Hermione, Professor Snape's face curled up in a strange configuration - a smile. "I think I might enjoy that. Please tell your ladies that they are invited also but that things in the classroom will not be any different."

"As it must be. I hope you and Wrotkill have worked out your differences about the basilisk parts."

"In the true course of things that matter, the basilisk has been reduced in the last hour to the least of my difficulties. By your leave, I will go and ask Wrotkill when he and his team will begin their work."

Harry nodded and then he and Snape bowed to each other. Professor Snape looked back at the crypt area and shook his head in wonder. He walked back to talk to the goblin sorcerer.

Vika was just reappearing and Harry asked Dumbledore where the two ghosts had gotten to. Dumbledore had small smile on his face and told Harry that Joshua had desired a change of scenery after the centuries of being trapped. "Miss Beechwood thought it only proper that she take a turn around the castle with the new arrival and discuss all the ramifications of being a ghost. I think she is glad to welcome someone that was more in line with her own age."

Vika came over and draped an arm over Harry's shoulder. "I also agreed to chaperone the two once we're done here. It was the lad that asked if it was proper nowadays for a young gentleman to be alone with a young lady." Harry wondered if there was more to this tour than what it seemed but he kept his question to himself.

Wrotkill and Snape came over after a couple more minutes and said that they were finished with the preliminary work on the basilisk body. Wrotkill thanked Harry for the opportunity again and Harry just said he was glad that something positive was coming out of the experience. Wrotkill disappeared after a word with Dumbledore and Snape was taken by Vida back to his office.

That left Dumbledore with the three Potters. "Every time I think I've prepared myself for the unexpected Harry, you seem to find even more amazing things happening around you. I trust you are having a satisfactory summer so far."

Harry looked around and just shook his head. "It's having its highs and lows professor. I… we would like to talk to you in a day or two about what we haven't told anybody yet. About another battle that happened in this chamber and what it possibly means to the rest of us. It is about Lord Voldemort."

Dumbledore's eyebrows rose in response to that name but he nodded his agreement. Fawkes flew down from where he had been resting and Dumbledore disappeared with in a flash of magic.

Vika reappeared and asked Harry where he and the others wanted to go. When they replied Godric's chambers, Vika held out her hands. Harry held onto one and Ginny and Hermione grabbed onto the other one. The four disappeared from the Chamber of secrets and all that disturbed the silence was an occasional crackle of magical flames that came from the green torches.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 – The Lady Writes

July 21st, 1993

_Dear Diary, Despite my reluctance to write things down after last year's experiences with TR, I feel I must continue noting the dates and events of one Ginny Weasley Potter and her marvelous family. When we actually get around to telling our children and grandchildren how Harry Potter became the man we all know and love, we'd like to have more than our imperfect memories to rely on. _

_I haven't written in a couple of weeks because of the busy schedule Lord and Ladies Potter have gotten into. There always seem to be something going on, whether it's decisions about the manor (we finally replaced that awful chandelier in the main hall), studying (either by ourselves or under the watchful eyes of both Tonks and Remus – a separate story there by most accounts) or visiting our families. Harry insisted that we girls both spend some time at our previous homes; we don't really mind because it gives the other Mrs. Potter some important one on one time with Harry (Whoopee!). _

_This will be just a brief summary of the highlights or events that have happened since we went back to the Chamber of Secrets._

_July 7th_, _1993 -_

_All three of us returned to Hogwarts for a long talk with Professor Dumbledore. Harry asked Remus to come with us as another ear to hear our 'memory problem' as well as moral support. We have all taken to calling him Uncle Remus because he seems like so much a part of our family now. In defiance of his wanting to separate himself because of his 'monthly' problem. He was initially upset that Harry had disclosed his secret but we all convinced him that it happened during our bond melding and was not a deliberate act on Harry's part. _

_We told both of them that we were still having nightmares from the encounters with both the young Tom Riddle and the Voldemort that seemed to have been concealed in Harry's scar. This was the first time that Remus had heard what happened when the mixture of basilisk venom and phoenix tears were in Harry's bloodstream together. To say he was upset was a bit of an understatement; Remus wanted to strike out at something or somebody and for a brief second we thought that he was going to focus on Dumbledore and blame him for Harry's misery. Harry was really good in setting the blame on where it truly belonged. Riddle – I refuse to write or say that other made up name anymore. It's a lie just like everything else that's come out of his mouth. _

_Dumbledore thought that time would be the cure for me but he was very concerned that Harry seemed to be carrying all of Riddle's memories up until that encounter in Godric's Hollow. He said he partially understood how the version of Tom ended up in Harry's scar but he didn't understand the whole process. Obviously Tom's spirit (memories?) sought the first available person to occupy like he went after Hermione in the chamber. _

_Hermione and I asked if Riddle was in Harry's scar, then who or what version of Riddle occupied Quirrell during our first year? And how many versions were there? We could account for three already – The original one that killed Harry's parents and ended up hiding (?) in the scar, the one that occupied Quirrell and the one that was created in the junior Riddle's diary. Dumbledore had no answer to that question but did have a suggestion for both Harry and me. It was meditation to identify, sort and isolate those memories so we could put a mental shield around them to keep them from bothering us. We didn't tell him that Hermione had already suggested that – she's such a smart wife! _

_Remus thought of another method that might be more effective in the long run. He thought we should write down the memories as they came to us and try to organize them into one big memory that we might be able to remove and possibly put into a Pensieve. That's not such a big deal for me but Harry's got decades of Riddle's memories that are floating around his brain. And the last one or two are especially traumatic and disturbing! Dumbledore thought that maybe if Harry wrote them down he(Harry) could eventually find out how all these versions came into being and if there were any more out there. (That's a wonderful thought to dwell on.) _

_But Harry said that he would try doing it if for nothing else to get the rest of the story of Tom Riddle and see what had made him so evil. Luckily Hermione always seems to have some extra notebooks laying around for both of us. __Remus and Dumbledore said they would go back to looking for anything that would possibly explain what had been happening to Harry and whatever the connection was to Riddle. _

_Hermione and I made extra sure that Harry was totally relaxed before he went to sleep that night. Of course, he didn't do a shabby job of driving us both over the edge a few times. Hermione was especially glad to have Harry's talented tongue tickling her fancy after so many days of abstinence. I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing that we girls aren't cycling at the same time. I feel a little bloated so I imagine that I'll have to wear knickers for a few days next. I'm really getting used to lounging around starkers with Hermione; she's been explaining how her family recreates. Harry likes it too!_

_Just so everyone knows, we are not super horny teens groping each other every second of the day and night. We're mostly content with hugs and kisses and just being close to one another. That said, we all get moods and it's a very good thing we find each other so attractive. (And can act on some of those feelings.)_

July 12th, 1993 -

The three of us were relaxing in the library on the rainy Saturday afternoon. Harry had found a small pamphlet on the history of Belton which was the nearest muggle village to Potter Manor. Hermione had taken a break from her Charms book and we were trying to concentrate on a game of chess. None of us are as good as Ron but we are about evenly matched so it's about even when your figure out total wins.

I was just about to concede and try talking Harry into going upstairs and trying another game of strip poker. Harry doesn't know but sometimes we girls loose deliberately when we play; his eyes get the neatest glow to them when either or both of us get naked. Hermione and I have thought about putting the whole undressing routine to music; maybe it can be a special treat for Harry's birthday in a couple of weeks.

There was a knock on the library door and Llasol asked if she and Rettus could come in for an audience. The two house elves had been courteous and friendly in our meetings but had never asked to formally sit and talk with them before. Hoping there wasn't anything wrong at Griffins Lair Harry put down his reading and just pointed to one of the nearby chairs. Rettus and Llasol sat down together in it and looked at the three of us nervously. Hermione noticed that the house elves were holding hands. It was something none of us had noticed before. Rettus had told us a long time ago that he and Llasol were mates but we had not seen any signs of physical contact between them. Not even holding hands.

"Is there a problem Rettus or something wrong at the Lair? Has Knop been giving you any trouble? If he has we can talk to him about it."

Rettus smiled. "Thank you Lord Harry but there is nothing wrong and Knop has been a little less abrasive to the rest of the elves in the last couple of weeks. We have something of a more personal situation to get your permission for."

Hermione smiled. "I'm sure whatever it is, we have no problem letting you do what you want."

"It's not quite that simple" Llasol said. "It's something that only Lord Potter can approve of."

"Is this House business then?" Harry asked suspiciously.

"Definitely House business. We need your permission to start a family."

Hermione and I looked at each other shocked. We knew house elves had a sorry lot in life sometimes but this seemed incredible. Harry saw the questions in our minds and I'm sure he had some of his own.

"You'll have to explain this to us Rettus" I said. "You do not have free will to start your own families?"

"Yes, but no Lady… sorry Ginny but we forget sometimes that none of the three of you have had much experience with house elves. It is required for us to ask permission of the Lord or Lady of the house. The new elfling is the responsibility of the master as well as the parents. It is sadly the practice for some lords to give permission for the family but to then sell off our young as a means of gathering money or influence."

"That's horrible!" Hermione was more upset than I had seen her in some time. "You are not property."

"But we are. Legally we are no different than the sheep that run in your pastures Harry or the bottles of wine that sit in the cellar. We can be bought or sold or even killed at the master's pleasure or whim."

Harry gasped in shock. "You don't think any of us would…?"

"No Harry, you and your wives are an exceptional master and ladies. We have no fear of physical or magical cruelty on your parts."

"Magical cruelty?"

"Some magical families are rumored to 'experiment' on house elves or let their young practice their spell casting on their own house elves."

"That's barbaric. Those elves cannot even defend themselves because they cannot act against their masters. It's totally unfair."

"In some households yes. I cannot speak for any house but the Potter house since we have grown up here. Your family Harry has always treated their servants fairly and with respect. We consider ourselves very lucky to know and be servants to you three. You have been most generous and kind to all of us."

Harry smiled at the compliment. "You have my, our, formal permission to start a family Rettus and Llasol. But I still have few more questions you might answer for us."

Hermione smiled. "My husband means if you don't mind. We think you deserve to have a right to privacy and it there are things that house elves don't talk about, we will respect that."

Llasol looked a little surprised. "Most masters don't have any interest or curiosity about their house elves outside of their completing their official duties."

"In case you haven't noticed, we aren't like most of the other heads of household you may have heard about."

"Of course Lady Ginny. We will tell you what we can but there is a matter or two that is held private for all house elves."

Hermione cleared her throat. "I guess I have the first question then. Harry, Ginny and I have met a lot of the house elves at Hogwarts. We've never seen any younglings. They aren't born full-sized are they?"

Llasol almost giggled. "No, certainly not. Even though immature house elves reach their full stature in a matter of about seven years, they are hidden and raised in seclusion. House elves are not born with magic but grow into it, like human wizards and witches."

"I can certainly understand hiding and protecting your young until they can protect themselves or use magic properly. Is being bound to a house passed on from parents to your young? Will the young elf or elves you have automatically be bound to Harry or House Potter?"

"No but that is a matter of the binding cast by each house lord. Some bindings are worded so that the elf and all his young are automatically bound."

"What happens here at Potter Manor?" Harry asked.

"What your grandfather and father have done is to do swear an oath of house protection for the youngling and a formal binding occurs when the youngling has grown up."

I sat up quickly. "Rettus, I just thought. No one has been here to give permissions for over 11 years. Are there any other couples that might want to start a family but haven't approached us?"

"Or younglings that have grown up that want the formal binding?" Harry added.

Llasol nodded her head. "I'm sure there are at least a few other couples. It is a very private matter. There is one elf here that has been given house protection but still needs the formal binding."

"Which one?"

"Tride, the one that works in the stable."

"Why has no one mentioned this to us?"

"The affairs of house elves are at the bottom of the list of concerns for the Lord and Ladies of the house."

"Is that one of Knop's stupid rules?" asked an exasperated Hermione.

"No that is just the way the world works milady."

Harry folded his hands into fist in his frustration. "Not from here out. Sorry, I'm not upset with either of you but I think another meeting with all the house elves is going to be held soon. Rettus, in spite of the 'official' status of master and servants, I would like to see everyone here as an extended family of sorts."

"We elves are not used to being treated so generously. It may take a while for us to get used to that."

Harry looked over at the two of us. "I think my wives still have a few questions. Are we keeping you from anything important?"

"There is nothing more important for us than attending to your needs and wants" Rettus said. Harry rolled his eyes but let us continue.

Hermione had a look of puzzlement on her face as she turned to Llasol. "You have told me that all the house elves here live in the sub-basement of the manor. Are your quarters adequate to your needs or would you like something different?"

"I'm not sure I understand your question Lady Hermione."

"Harry, we have lots and lots of land around the manor. If the elves wanted to get out from the dungeon could we not get some sort of lodging or family homes set up somewhere?"

Both Rettus and Llasol looked at Hermione as if she had grown another head. "We are satisfied with our living arrangements Lady Hermione and Harry. We could no more abandon the manor than we would take up arms against you and the ladies. It is inconceivable."

Harry held up his hands to calm the upset elves. "We were just asking. I'm sure Hermione meant no insult or question of your loyalty."

Hermione shook her head rapidly. "I'm sorry if I've offended you."

It was Rettus and Llasol's turn to look shocked. "Apologies from our lady? Lady Hermione, it is not _our _place to forgive _you_ for an innocent question or idea."

Harry sat back and relaxed. "Let's call it all square on the blame or misunderstandings. It is a matter of education – both your and ours. There will be another group meeting with all the elves here soon so that we can get further knowledge about each other. I hope you will grant us the favor of seeing your youngling soon after it arrives?"

"Of course Mi'lord Harry; it would be an honor."

"Thank you for coming and seeing us today. You are always welcome to sit and talk and it doesn't always have to be something this important."

Rettus and Llasol bowed to the three of us and walked out of the library then. Harry turned to us and mentioned that the two house elves were smiling when they left. It was a long time to supper that afternoon and we spent most of it talking about families and responsibilities. There have been times lately when we really feel like we're grown up.

_July 13__th__, 1993 -_

_We had got up and started our morning run a little after 6 this morning. It was Hermione's turn to set the course and the pace, so we were keeping to the roads and main trails through the forest. I tend to go straight cross-country some days and Harry likes to run the perimeter of the grounds. We had been running about 30 minutes and had just about reached the turnaround point when we saw Knop suddenly appear in front of us. He was holding onto a small basket which he put down on the ground._

_I pulled up first and Harry and Hermione both dropped into a walk until we reached Knop's side. It took a few seconds for us to catch our breath enough and wonder if there was a problem. Knop never came out to see us when we ran. If fact we put him into a panic the first day we all took off running early; he had no idea where we were and thought we had abandoned the manor or had been kidnapped! He was a little confused when Llasol told him that it was our practice to go running most mornings for exercise. Proper gentlemen and ladies didn't 'exercise' in his world I guess._

"_Is there a problem back at the manor Knop?" Harry asked._

"_No Lord Harry But you did take off without these." Knop opened the top of the basket and pulled out three bottles of water and handed them to us. We were happy but a little confused. Knop hadn't gone out of his way to do anything positive for us but he had at least kept the mutterings to himself after the first week. We were very sure that he didn't approve of us in general._

"_Thank you Knop." We all took long drinks as we walked around a bit as we didn't want to tighten up by suddenly stopping. Knop reached into the basket and brought out some small towels so we could wipe some of the sweat off our faces and heads. We took them gratefully as the morning was rapidly becoming a little muggy. If a breeze didn't start on the way back, we would be running right into the pool to cool off._

_Knop put the bottles and towels back in to the basket and seemed to hesitate for a second. "May I speak with you three for a moment or two?"_

'_This was intriguing' I thought. Knop didn't have a lot of questions for us and hardly ever asked us for anything. Harry nodded his head and we sort of clustered together._

"_I need to apologize to all three of you. I have been more than a little arrogant and unforgiving in my attitude since you have arrived here. I have been totally wrong and admit it."_

"_What has changed your mind?" Hermione asked._

"_I have been observing your actions and attitudes and found that you have done nothing that would warrant my condemnation. That you are different does not necessarily mean you are wrong. It was my expectations based on the actions of your grandparents and parents that has been the trouble."_

"_Are you saying that my parents set a standard that I haven't met yet?" Harry voice was just a little uncertain as if he had done something wrong._

"_No, Lord P.. Harry, it's just that both your parents and grandparents were raised with certain ideas of societal correctness and their actions and dealings with the house elves and others reflected that."_

"_So we're too young to do things correctly?" I asked._

"_That was my original attitude and I was wrong about that. You conduct yourselves as you see fit and that IS correct. Whether it is better or worse for you in the long run is not something I should be judging you on. You have stepped into a situation most young humans would not even try. Assuming a lordship and running a manor. I cannot even imagine what suddenly having two human mother-in laws entails."_

_Hermione laughed and Harry smiled. "There's hope for you yet Knop. A joke."_

_Knop smiled - a totally unfamiliar expression for him. "I will try to remember that you are acting in the manner you choose and that is how things are going to be around here. The rest of the house elves have had nothing but good words about the way you treat them. And Llasol peaks very highly of you all; she hasn't wanted to tell you but she is my offspring. You've done a great favor for my family for granting her and Rettus your blessings."_

_That shocked the three of us. Harry went down to one knee to look Knop in the eye. "I am still looking for support and guidance Knop and I hope you won't hesitate to stand up and speak up if any of us do things that are totally wrong. Like you said, we're all new to this situation."_

"_Then I'll consider this meeting an agreement for us to cooperate better. I'd best get back to the manor. Oh, Luff said that she was preparing something called burgers and fries for lunch." Knop looked around at the setting and bowed to the three of us separately before disappearing. _

_By the time I had looked back up, Harry was a dozen yards down the path and running backwards. "First one back gets the shower." He turned and began running hard with both Hermione and I yelling threats as we tried to catch up._

July 16th, 1993 -

Hide and Seek – that's what Harry was calling it. The foggiest morning since we had come to Potter Manor and we all went out to the Quidditch pitch instead of running. Harry wanted to check and see that the lessons on 'transporting' ourselves had sunk in and we could actually move to and away from each other. I'll have to assume it's not apparating as we would have received an owl from the ministry about our unauthorized actions.

The trick this morning was not visually seeing the other person you were trying to get to or away from. We were just to use our magical senses to locate and move ourselves. That seemed like a fair test but rather boring. We all spread out on the pitch and Harry moved himself to appear right next to Hermione. That was her signal to come find me; Hermione and I had a little conference before I left to find Harry. That's when the fun started.

I tapped Harry on the shoulder and handed him my sandals before I popped away. He went to where Hermione was but when he appeared there was a note hanging in midair.

_The clues are small, the rewards are best. Try to catch us before the end of the test._

Harry tried very hard for the next fifteen minutes to catch up with either me or Hermione. We could sense him moving and we popped to another location before he arrived. He always found an article of clothing in our absence though. A top from me, some socks from Hermione, a bra, etc. We weren't sure if he was angry that we were sporting with him or happy that he thought his wives were getting more and more naked as we lept from one spot on the Quidditch pitch to the other. All I know is that the pace certainly increased as we made wilder and wilder jumps from one place to another. We'd abandoned the pitch for a bigger area about halfway through this little chase but Harry didn't seem to mind as he followed us around the foggy manor grounds.

We had finally left a full set of clothes apiece and Hermione had dropped off her shoes as the last article of her clothing. I ran to the one place I wanted to be and just let out with a mental laugh that we knew Harry would hear. _**'THAT'S ALL OF IT, JAMIE. You couldn't catch up with us.'**_

Harry appeared with a smile about two feet to my left holding all our clothes. Which was rather unfortunate for him as I was standing on the diving board over the pool. Harry crashed into the water with a yelp and I walked back down to stand by a laughing Hermione on the side of the pool. When Harry surfaced again he saw that we were still fully clothed except for our footwear. Harry looked around at some of the clothing that was floating around him and asked how we had done it.

I whispered one word and Llasol appeared next to us. She took one look at Harry swimming fully clothed in the pool and immediately put one shocked hand to her mouth and vanished with all the clothes we had asked her to bring to us. That set Harry and us off on another round of laughter and he reluctantly agreed it was a good prank to start the day off with. Harry decided to just stay swimming so he placed his glasses on the side of the pool and stripped off down to his underwear. Hermione placed a drying charm on his clothes while I really got rid of my slacks and top and joined him. Harry and I were talking about how well we had moved during the chase when a naked Hermione cannonballed the two of us. The led to another water fight that we all thoroughly enjoyed. Remus finally had to shout down from his balcony that we needed to get back inside and to our studies.

_July 19__th__, 1993 -_

_Remus is temporarily 'indisposed' which unfortunately means being locked in a sturdy cage in a secured room down in the basement of Potter Manor. It was unfortunately or fortunately a place he had placed himself in before during his visits to the place with Harry's father and the other Marauders. Harry asked Rettus to clean the room and cage up before he had the sorrowful duty of locking in the cage with our friend in it and magically sealing the door. Remus said that it should be 24 hours before Harry should come back and that none of us, especially Tonks, be allowed into the room. We understood of course but were upset anyway at the situation._

_Harry felt bad about abandoning his friend but realized that watching him transform wouldn't help anybody but might get him more upset. We three talked for a bit and agreed that we would take whatever steps we needed to make sure that there was always wolfsbane potion around for Remus. It doesn't stop the transformations but it does help stop the madness that happens during the change._

_We all were all out of sorts considering what was about to happen below us when the full moon rose later. Harry even turned down a ride around on his broom. I tried to think of something positive to do and Hermione finally reminded our lord and master (thrppppt!) that we still had a couple of portkeys that we hadn't used yet. That brought a smile to Harry's face; he's been very curious about the earlship and everything that's related to it. He doesn't want it of course but Harry may want to have something held in check for a future son (or daughter). Yes, we have talked about that as part of our future families but that is many, many years away._

_Hermione went and found the portkey to the castle and we all changed out of all knock around clothes to something a little more presentable. None of us had any idea of what would await us when we got there and Harry was muttering something about probably running into Knop's brother. No one had come looking for us from the earldom which Harry hoped was a good sign that it might not be anything but a title. But still we wanted to look good whatever the circumstances and it took about a half hour till we all agreed that we could clean up and look presentable if we needed to._

_Harry gripped both our hands and activated the portkey. "Bolingbroke Castle." The magic surrounded us and dropped us – right up to our ankles in mud! Whatever Bolingbroke Castle might have been in the past, it was now in ruins. There was not a structure standing over 4 feet tall except for one wall that was still about 20 feet high. Most of what was left or had been restored was a mostly star shaped rampart that must have been the foundation for the castle. Harry looked around and then looked at both of us before we all broke up laughing. "Well, I can see how well I rate with this earlship."_

_We all walked gingerly out of the wet yard and pushed past a few sheep that were gazing at us curiously. We finally arrived at a graveled walkway that was a little higher and dryer than where we had arrived at. Harry performed a Scourgify charm on our muddy shoes and pants and we took a tour around the area. There were a few signs describing the historic site and we found that the castle had fallen into disrepair about the mid 1600's and the last of the major structures had fallen down in 1815. Harry was a little happy that he didn't have another home or wards to worry about but I think he would have liked to see the castle in one piece. We walked around the neighboring town for a while looking at the sights and found a nice restaurant to eat some lunch in. Harry led us back close to where we appeared and activated the portkey again to take us home. _

_I guess the new joke for Harry is that when he doesn't want to see anybody, he will ask Knop to have them wait at Bolingbroke Castle for a while._

_July 21__st__, 1993 -_

_Mum sent us a howler this morning! Something about Harry or I taking pity of the Weasley family and rewarding them unjustly. Harry was upset because he didn't have a clue about what the problem was but was being blamed again. I kissed my husband and told him that Hermione and I would go sort out the mess._

_We had a small cage for Salheed to take him back with. I insisted when all this business of Potter Manor happened that Errol needed to become semi-retired for both his own safety and a little more reliable method of talking to us. Mum wasn't too happy when I showed up with a hawk owl but Dad worked his charm on her and she relented as it was a better way for us to talk regularly._

_Hermione and I flooed to The Burrow to find Mum pacing and waiting for us. Before we could even get a 'Hello' out of our mouths she had rounded on me with a finger pointed at my nose. _"_What do you and Harry think you're doing? Despite what you've married into, you should know better than anyone that we won't take any charity Ginny. The very idea! Did you think we would just sit back and accept this as a matter of course? I see Harry hasn't come to explain himself either. I bet this was his notion, wasn't it?"_

_I looked around – just a little flabbergasted. I saw Ron and the twins peeking out a little fearfully from the living room and watching for my reaction. They must have been hearing a snootful since Mum sent the howler off._

_Hermione placed the cage on the table and opened it up to let Salheed out. He flew to his regular stand by the window and Hermione tried to say 'Good Morning Molly'. She didn't seem to hear it though and kept staring at me._

_Faced with my mother's wrath, I didn't respond to her temper with my own. I went and started the water boiling in the tea kettle while Hermione went and fetched cups for the three of us. __I then went over and kissed Mum on the cheek. "I have absolutely no idea of what you think Harry or the rest of us did but we're going to sit down with some tea and biscuits and find out."_

_The fact that I didn't yell back at her seemed to settle my mum down a bit. I saw the twins nod from the doorway of the living room and I indicated with my head that they should disappear. They and Ron hurried out the front door while Mum was looking at Hermione and me._

_We sat down and soon had a cup of hot tea before us. I took a sip and took the dangerous lead. "What's happened to warrant a Howler?"_

"_You should know."_

"_Mum, we have no idea about what you are going on about."_

"_You arranged things at Gringotts."_

"_We arranged what things at Gringotts? We haven't put any money in your vaults. We do respect your wishes. In spite of what the twins wanted."_

"_You have no idea then?"_

_Hermione spoke up then. "Molly if it's something we can fix, we'll gladly try. But we still have no idea of what's happened."_

_Mum sat back in her chair a little suspiciously. "Arthur went to Gringotts yesterday after work to get out some money for school shopping; we thought we'd try getting it done early this year for a change."_

"_And?"_

"_The goblin at the window said that Dad had won a special random drawing. A weeks' vacation for him and his family to anywhere in the magical world."_

"_That's wonderful Mum. Why don't you look happy?"_

"_Because your father and I both think it's way too convenient a bit of luck. We both think that Harry or all of you made a special deal with the goblins to give us something for nothing. It's outright charity and we won't take it."_

_I held up my hand to pause everything and had a quick conversation with Harry back at the Manor_. I _put my hand down and looked across the table at my mother. _

"_Harry will come here and swear he didn't talk to the goblins or made any arrangements about the trip. You actually got that by yourselves."_

_Mum looked stunned. "You really didn't fix this up for us?"_

"_Cross my heart and hope Harry never eats my cooking!" (Harry has been giving me and Hermione lessons but I'm still horrid at meals unless it's breakfast.)_

"_So where were you and Mr.…. Arthur thinking about going with everyone Molly? And when?" Hermione had a strange look on her face. I quickly realized we three had a trip of our own coming up – the cruise!_

"_Bill has been asking us to come and visit him in Egypt since we went and visited Charlie last year. I guess we'll head that way since it's all expenses paid. Such an unusual thing to happen to us. I guess it'll be the middle of August. Arthur's got some meetings scheduled that will take up the first week."_

_I went over and hugged Mum and put my arms around her neck. "Do you think Bill or anyone else would mind a few more tagalongs? I know Harry and Hermione wouldn't mind seeing that part of the world and we could pay our own way."_

_Mum smiled. "I think that it would be wonderful to have a whole family outing like that. Hermione?"_

"_We'd be done going on the cruise with my parents by then and I'm pretty sure Harry has an apartment in Cairo. I think we have a plan."_

_Mum rushed over to give us a both a big hug and started talking about what we would all need to go shopping for. I realized that we might have to go to the Ministry to get some potions to travel overseas like Ron had that one time._

_Hermione had let Harry know we weren't in trouble anymore and that our travelling had been extended. We told Mum we would let her know about going shopping and headed home._

_We can transport ourselves back to Potter Manor. After we did that little chase between ourselves, Hermione figured out the magical signature of the Manor and we can use the bond magic to move us along. We got home just in time to let Harry knew we had to get more clothes!_

Ginny closed up her diary and put her fountain pen down. It was a lot easier than using a quill and ink and magic didn't interfere with it. Hermione had suggested it as a way to be a little more efficient and it had worked so well during the summer that they were going to take some back to Hogwarts with them. Harry had jokingly said that Professor Snape would give him demerits for using non-traditional methods.

Ginny flipped over and saw that Harry had come into their bedroom. Hermione looked up from writing a letter to her mom and dad to see Harry had motioned for them to come over.

Harry looked at both of them and then spoke. "I guess I've made a decision about going public and I'd like to explain it to you. I'm going to wait until after my birthday and then tel…"

We had no chance to hear anything else as Rettus suddenly appeared in the door way. "The alarms have gone off Master Harry. Somebody is at Griffin's Lair!"

/A.N. I forgot to give credit a few chapters back to kahless62003 for help correcting my gobbledygook (klingon). Thanks!


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16 – Visits Far and Near

Harry reacted before the Ginny or Hermione could get another thought straight in their heads. "You two get all your wands and change! Five minutes!" Then he stopped. "No – Rettus and I will go investigate first."

Harry saw the looks they were giving him and hesitated for a couple of seconds. "How about Rettus and I go first, under my invisibility cloak and if we need you to come along and help I'll ask? Not that way either? Okay, let me and Rettus go first and you follow after 2 minutes?" The last suggestion the girls nodded to and Harry moved to get his wand holster and invisibility cloak from the side table where he had stored them.

Harry turned to look at his wives as he put his wand holder on his wrist and loaded it. "I hope this is just a false alarm. Maybe a sheep fell off the hillside and fell through the wards on the ledge. Hopefully it is something minor and nobody or nothing has found Griffin's Lair."

It didn't take any time for Harry to outfit himself and he saw that Hermione and Ginny had laid out a change of clothes and were just waiting for Rettus and him to leave. Harry went and placed the griffin portkey on his shirt and drew the invisibility cloak around him. If Rettus had any reaction to his master turning invisible, he didn't show it. Harry threw the cloak around Rettus and activated to portkey. The girls watched as Harry disappeared and they hurried to change clothes after they felt him leave.

Harry and Rettus ended up in the library at Griffin's Lair and Harry looked around carefully before he dropped the cloak and let Rettus appear beside him. There wasn't anything out of order and Harry saw and heard no one. Harry looked and saw that the wards on the windows and the hidden room were still secure.

Kneeling down Harry whispered to the house elf. "We'll check the living level next. Can you go to the kitchen without being seen?" Rettus nodded but then clutched Harry's hand.

Rettus pointed upward. "I can feel them. Up in The Aerie."

"Them? That's not so good." Harry extended his magical senses upward and felt them immediately. Two magical signatures with a lot of power but Harry couldn't quite get an accurate reading as to who they were. Two small sounds behind him caused Harry to spin rapidly with both wands drawn and ready to fire.

Ginny and Hermione also had their wands drawn as they appeared and the three took a deep breath and relaxed from almost firing at each other_**. 'A little warning next time before you scare me. You almost got blasted.'**_

'_**Sorry Harry. We didn't want to distract you. Where are we looking next?'**_

'_**Rettus says the two intruders are up in The Aerie.'**_

Ginny and Hermione nodded and started following him toward the stairway. Harry carefully opened the door and then stopped. He motioned for Rettus to get behind the girls. He suspected the house elf wanted to go first but he wanted to make sure nobody suddenly appeared behind them and fired on them in a trap.

The lights were lit lit in the stairway and Harry didn't know if it was because of their presence or somebody that had traveled that way before. They were very cautious as they climbed upward and stopped a few times to listen. The feeling of magical beings in front of them increased and Harry had the horrid thought that it might be Voldemort again that had somehow tracked him to this place. _**'Promise me if it's Riddle, you'll both go get Dumbledore and come back.'**_

'_**We're not leaving you Harry.'**_

'_**But…'**_

'_**We are NOT leaving you Harry!'**_

'_**Fine.'**_ Harry stopped his climbing and went back to give instructions to Rettus. The house elf wasn't happy at the order Harry gave but he did promise that if fighting broke out he would got to Hogwarts and bring the headmaster back.

The four finally were at the door that led to the ledge and cave that made up The Aerie. Harry made sure everyone was ready and then cracked the door open to take a peek. With the girls looking on over his shoulder, what they saw caused everyone to gasp in surprise. Harry opened the door and they cautiously stepped up to the level.

A sheep had come to be on the ledge but what had really broken the wards was the creature bent to the business of devouring it. It was a griffin. A large golden creature – half eagle and half lion with extremely large powerful wings, talons and a beak. The beak and talons on this creature were very busy tearing off strips of the half-consumed sheep. It was huge and powerful looking.

'**Rather impressive isn't he?'**

The four turned as one and fell over backwards. Another griffin, only slightly smaller, had noiselessly walked out of cave and had stood over them as they watched the first. Harry and the others scrambled on the floor to find a defensive position, Harry and Rettus ended up on their knees facing the female griffin that had startled them while Ginny and Hermione kept their wands pointed at the one feasting on the ledge. The one that seemed to acknowledge them but was more intent on eating.

The griffin coming out of the cave stretched with its front shoulders lowering almost to the ground and the two huge wings half unfolding in the narrow passageway. **'My apologies Lord Potter for startling you. My mate and I mean no harm to you and yours.'**

Harry and the girls slowly got to their feet but kept the wands trained on the magnificent creatures that surrounded them. Rettus seemed stunned at the appearance of the two; each was easily three times the size of the hippogriff that had spent time healing in the stables.

'**Shadhan, your manners. Our hosts have appeared.'**

Shadhan, responding to the name, stared at the foursome before him and reluctantly pushed the remainder of the sheep aside to stand and take two steps forward. He did the half-bow/stretch and settled down on his stomach and began cleaning his claws with a long raspy looking tongue.

Ginny turned to let Hermione keep an eye on Shadhan while she came to stand beside harry. She nudged him once and when he looked at her, Ginny just nodded toward the griffin that had mind spoken to them.

Harry straightened all the way up and put one his wands back in the holster on his wrist. He looked the griffin in the eye and tried to remain calm. _'My apologies for our caution. Welcome to Griffin's Lair, Lady..?'_

'**My name is Dulari, we have no ladies or royalty like you humans. We would have asked permission to enter but you were elsewhere when we arrived here.'**

"My apologies then Dulari. I had no way on knowing you and your mate were stopping here." Harry hoped the griffin understood human speech as well as mental.

'**We heard the call when you reset the wards on this place. It was a powerful set of spells that were placed here Lord Potter.'**

"My name is Harry – I don't use the title much. My mate beside me is name Ginny and the one still nervously watching Shadhan is name Hermione. They helped set the wards."

'**I can tell the bond that exists between you three. It is quite unusual.'**

"So we've been told" Hermione said. She had walked up and bowed to Dulari. Harry threw a glance over his shoulder and saw the massive Shadhan had totally relaxed in the sunshine and was stretched out on his side. Harry suspected he might even be sleeping.

Dulari had stretched herself out and lay on her stomach. **'You may come closer; my diet does not usually include humans or elves.'**

"That is supposed to reassure us?" Ginny asked carefully.

The griffin shook her head and the feathers that grew from her shoulders upwards rearranged themselves and settled. Harry and the others heard a mental chuckle as Dulari lowered her head a little**. 'It has been too many years since Shadhan and I have experienced a human's sense of humor. It is nice to hear it again. I promise on the ancient bond between House Potter and the Griffins that we do not mean you any harm.'**

Harry stepped forward so that he was within the reach of the deadly looking claws. _'Is it possible to for us to come and touch you while we continue our talk?'_

Dulari brought her head down to stare right at Harry. He saw how hard and sharp the beak of the griffin was. **'We are not a pet to be idly poked and prodded but for this afternoon I will allow it. Shadhan will probably not be so agreeable but you could ask him when he wakes up.'**

Harry and the girls cautiously approached the griffin and touched both the silky fur and soft golden feathers that Dulari had. Hermione seemed to instinctively find a spot behind Dulari's right ear that produced a purr of satisfaction that seemed to embarrass the griffoness.

Rettus stayed where he was at the head of the stairway and Harry didn't want to call any attention to the house elf. Harry walked over to him at one point and asked if Rettus was uneasy because of their 'guests'. When Rettus admitted he was, Harry said he could return to Potter Manor if he wanted. Rettus didn't want to abandon the three but Harry asked that Rettus go to the stable and ask if Tride would be willing to attend the meeting for a bit. That seemed acceptable for Rettus and he disappeared for about 10 minutes and then reappeared with Tride beside him.

Harry had by that time found out that this wasn't a casual stopover for the pair of griffins. Dulari had formally requested that she and her mate use Griffin's Lair as their summer home. Harry stammered out that he would be happy and glad to grant that request. He was about to say that he would need to adjust the wards when he found a powerful presence in his mind again.

If the bond that Harry and the girls had was a sea of power that they could draw on, then the brief moment of sharing minds with Dulari was a glimpse of the whole sky full of stars and the power of the suns. Harry was overwhelmed and passed out from the experience.

When he returned to the state of consciousness, Harry found himself leaning against the warm golden rug of Dulari's fur. Hermione and Ginny were anxiously looking at him to make sure he was okay.

'**My heartfelt apologies Harry. I only meant to touch your knowledge of the wards here to adjust them to allow Shadhan and I access. You have a very interesting mind for a wizard. There is a depth and power there that I have not experienced in humans before.'**

Harry climbed a little unsteadily to his feet and went up to where he could touch Dulari's head. He patted her neck with a little comforting hand and then reared back and punched Dulari's beak as hard as he could with his fist! The girls screamed behind him and Dulari and Shadhan both sprang to their feet.

Paying no mind to the huge male griffin that was approaching him from the rear Harry shook his fist at the magic creature before him. _"That was for breaking your promise about not doing any harm to me or mine. If you try something like that with my wives I will come and hunt you, ancient bond or not."_

'**He was justified in his actions. You not only caused him harm but brought distress to his mates. Shame on you Dulari!'**

Harry turned to see that Shadhan had lain down on his stomach again and was watching both his mate and Harry. Harry smiled at the griffin and did a deep bow towards him as a matter of respect. Shadhan dipped his head back in return and then resumed his stare.

When Harry turned back to Dulari he found she had moved once again. She was standing but this time her bow started at her back legs and she laid her head down with her eyes closed at Harry's feet. Harry sighed. He had to go take his anger out on one of the most powerful creatures on the planet. 'What was I thinking?' he said to himself.

Harry knelt down and reached out to stroke Dulari's neck. "Get up please. I hit you where I thought it would do the least amount of damage. I was a little scared at experiencing all that power you possess and was worried about Ginny and Hermione."

Dulari opened her eyes and settled back down. "I should have guessed that you would do whatever was needed to protect your family Harry. You have a good and noble heart. We think it was a good decision to come here. We have much to offer each other."

Harry waved Tride forward at the point and introduced him to both Shadhan and Dulari. The house elf seemed fascinated by the creatures and Harry proposed that Tride visit every couple of days and see to any needs the pair might have.

Dulari nodded but Shadhan immediately asked for a little change in his diet. **'Sheep are okay but not for every meal.' **Harry asked Tride to bring some pigs or cattle to the island but to make sure that they weren't seen by any muggles. Tride nodded and inched closer to talk to the male griffin.

Ginny laughingly said that they ought to bring Ron up to compare appetites with the huge male but Harry said it might put even Ron off his feed if he had to stand before the 13 foot tall Shadhan.

The two griffins, three humans and the house elf talked for the rest of the day and found out that the griffins had flown from Gibraltar after they felt the wards being recast. Harry, Hermione and Ginny reluctantly took their leave when the two griffins launched themselves off the ledge and flew away to hunt for supper. Harry made a point to ask Tride to bring some sheep from the other islands around the Lair to make sure that their herd wasn't totally wiped out. Tride nodded and vanished to return to his other duties back at the stable.

The three Potter watched the powerful wing strokes of the two griffins as they climbed to gain a little altitude before they began their search for dinner. Harry had promised Dulari that they would come back for frequent visits but for now, he activated the portkey now and they returned home.

Xxxx xxxx

"Name?"

"Ginny Weasley."

"Purpose of visit?"

"To see my father, Arthur Weasley, at the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office and to go to the International Floo Office for travelling potions."

"I heard he had a bit of luck with the goblins. Very well. Wand please?"

Ginny gave her wand to the security wizard. He placed it in a strange brass device on his desk. The wand vibrated for a minute and a strip of paper came out of a slot in the bottom of the device. "Nine and half inches, griffin feather core, in use for two years. Is that correct?"

"Yes" Ginny replied.

"Here's your wand back and your visitors badge. Please keep your visitors' badge displayed at all times. You are not allowed to wander out of the areas you have come to visit."

"Thank you Auror Nervish" Ginny took her wand back and waited as Hermione went through the search and wand registration at the Ministry of Magic's security checkpoint.

(Five days ago when they came back from finding Dulari and Shadhan, Harry had sat down and explained his decision about going public with their marriage. It involved talking with Luna and her father after the birthday party that the girls wanted to hold for him at the Manor. Harry had two special things that he wanted to do before then and both girls supported his choices. It did mean however getting the cooperation of the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Amelia Bones. That was Harry's mission for today but Ginny and Hermione hoped to have Mr. Weasley bring them to that meeting.)

Hermione was just getting her visitor badge pinned on when she and Ginny turned at the commotion that was approaching from one of the many floo points that deposited people into the main lobby of the Ministry of Magic. A strange whistling was heard coming from one figure that the wizards and witches were rapidly moving away from. As the crowd of visitors and employees parted, a rather large wizard dressed in distinctive clothes came striding to the checkpoint. He had a rather large staff he was carrying over one shoulder and the whistling seemed to intensify and be joined by some real music the closer he got to the checkpoint.

'**I Can't Dance**_** from Genesis? That's what you came up with Robb?'**_

'_**Shush Nonnie. The fun's about to begin.'**_

The security guard looked up a little anxiously at the large man that dropped the staff across his desk with a clatter. The wizard had red pants to almost match his copper colored hair but a yellow shirt and a red cape did not do anything but call attention to the person. The guard could feel the power that seemed to just flow out of the man but he had a job to do.

"Name and business?"

The wizard picked up the name tag on the desk and held it up to read. "Nervish and I'm pretty sure you are an Auror."

"Your name and business."

"Oh, sorry. Lord Gryffindor and I have an appointment with Madame Bones, the Head of… Well, you should know her."

"I'm afraid I still need your name to see if you're on the official list of appointments."

"Why do you need MY name? I'm still using it."

'_**Harry!'**_

"Sorry again. My name is Robb Loxley."

Auror Nervish checked a clipboard and ran his finger down the list of appointments. He nodded as he found Robb Loxley's name and an asterisk besides it. "The Minister himself wanted to be notified when you came for a visit Lord Gryffindor."

"It's nice that the Minister is so concerned about my whereabouts. May I proceed now?"

"Just one more detail Lord Gryffindor. Your wand."

"No."

"No you're not going to hand over your wand for registration? It's been a long standing directive that every wizard or witch that comes here must submit to having their wand officially registered."

"No, in the sense that I don't have a wand. Never saw the need for one."

Auror Nervish was very confused at this point. Regulations stated that the wand had to be registered but if the wizard stated that he had none…. Nervish spoke up a little hesitantly. "Then you should be willing to submit to a search…just to make sure that you haven't forgotten about one."

Lord Gryffindor stood at the desk and just seemed to get larger as the auror stared at him. Nervish saw the smile vanish from the wizard's face.

"Do you want to answer to Madame Bones about the reason I'm late for an appointment with her?"

That seemed to be a question that had a slightly dangerous answer no matter what Nervish chose. He seized upon another idea to avoid answering Lord Gryffindor. "What about that staff?" he asked as he pointed to the long rod that lay across his desk.

"This?" Robb Loxley picked up the staff and started twirling it in his hands as he continued looking at the security guard. The twirling picked up speed and Nervish seemed to have trouble following the sound and staff as it continued to pick up speed. It began rotating faster and faster and the noise climbed the scale the faster it moved. Nervish felt the wind that was generated as something like what the muggles had invented with their electric fans.

Lord Gryffindor brought his hands down and the staff continued to twirl by itself in mid-air. Nervish watched it carefully for a few seconds and then it just up and vanished.

"What staff are you talking about?" Auror Nervish looked up into the grinning face of the wizard in front of him and decided he would pass the impossible situation along to the head of the DMLE. "Here is your visitors pass Lord Gryffindor. You should keep it displayed at all times. The Minister's office is on the top floor and I will let him know you are headed up. Madame Bones' office is on the second floor."

"Thank you Auror Nervish. I will mention how much help you have been to Madame Bones personally."

"Th… That's totally… unnecessary Lord Gryffindor. Enjoy your visit to the Ministry of Magic."

As Lord Gryffindor walked away pinning the visitor badge on his shirt, he saw that the security guard slump at the desk and reached into a drawer for a small flask of something. The auror looked at it for a moment, shook his head sadly and then placed it back in the drawer.

Hermione and Ginny were holding an elevator for Robb Loxley. He walked in and when the doors closed on the three of them, the girls fell into the large man giggling their heads off.

"You're absolutely incorrigible Robb Loxley" said the taller of the pair.

"But you have to admit Lord Gryffindor has a certain flair" Harry said.

"He's got something alright" Ginny quipped before the elevator stopped moving.

Arthur Weasley was a little confused as to why his daughter asked him to meet him on the second floor instead of at his office on the third. When the elevator opened, Ginny came rushing out and hurried into giving him a hug. He said hello and then turned when his name was called out. He saw his new daughter-in-law, Hermione, exiting the elevator along with someone he had only heard descriptions of before.

Ginny pulled her father halfway over to make the introductions. "Lord Gryffindor may I introduce my father Arthur Weasley. Dad, this is Robb Loxley, a very close friend of Harry's."

Arthur held out his hand and the young lord shook it. "Glad to meet you Arthur. Harry, Hermione and Ginny all speak very highly of you and I feel like I know you myself through their descriptions. Your daughter has persuaded me that you would be the perfect person to come help me in a meeting I have with Madame Bones. Would you mind coming with us?"

Arthur was surprised by the request but if his daughters (he considered Hermione his daughter now also) and Harry thought he might be helpful to Lord Gryffindor he would go. It would be something exciting to tell Molly and the boys when he got home later.

The foursome made their way to Madame Bones' office and were immediately escorted in by her secretary. If Amelia Bones seemed surprised by the number of visitors that came in with Lord Gryffindor she didn't indicate it in the slightest. She greeted Arthur by name and invited everyone to have a seat. When her visitors declined any refreshments, she got down to business and asked Lord Gryffindor what she could do to assist him.

"I have three favors to ask but must insist you call me Robb while we are all sitting around as friends. Arthur is here as an advisor and Ginny and Hermione are here representing Harry Potter's interests. To get down to the heart of it, I would like your permission to go to Azkaban prison and visit Sirius Black. He is Harry's godfather and Harry is very worried about him. Black is in a unique situation about spending a great deal of his life in prison without benefit of a trial. I would like to go see him and confirm that he is okay after all that exposure with the Dementors."

"I will grant that. I like Harry and feel like he and his godfather have both have been treated unfairly by certain parts of the Ministry. When would you like to go?"

"Sometime this week if I could. Would it be possible to also take Remus Lupin on this visit? He's a friend to both Sirius and Harry and would probably enjoy seeing his old friend again."

"I'll sign the order myself after you leave today. Would Wednesday fit into your schedule?"

"Absolutely. Thank you Madame Bones. You have no idea how important this is to me."

"You said you had three matters you wished to discuss Lord Gry… Robb. What are the other two?"

Robb Loxley stood and paced a little bit in the confines of the office. The lord finally reached a decision and stopped in front of Madame Bones desk. "The last two are of a highly personal nature and I hope you won't be too offended if I ask you if this office is really secure?"

Madame Bones stood at once and made a few passes with her wand. "There. This office is now more secure than the Minister's."

"Good because what I have to say next should be a secret from even your own niece Susan until Harry's birthday. These two young ladies in this office.."

Ginny and Hermione came to stand by Harry's side and Arthur half rose out of his chair.

"..are married…"

"Ginny, Hermione, no!" Mr. Weasley came out of his chair trying to protect his daughter.

"To me." Harry dropped his disguise of Robb Loxley (Lord Gryffindor) to the complete amazement of Arthur Weasley and Aurelia Bones. Arthur came up to stand and stare at Harry and looked across at the three youngsters standing calmly at the desk.

Madame Bones had half rose out of her seat when she saw the transformation occur but sat back suddenly as the person she had been praising suddenly appeared in front of her. She took off the monocle she was in the habit of wearing and held it up to the light briefly before putting it carefully down on her desk. She then looked at Harry and couldn't hold her laughter in any longer. "This is so rich. That was you that handled Minister Fudge and Malfoy so well back at Hogwarts. That is truly amazing!"

Tears were running down the head Auror's face as she pounded the table with her fist in helpless laughter. Harry risked a glance sideways and saw that both Ginny and Hermione were hugging Arthur and almost holding him up at the same time. He seemed to be in total shock at the transformation he had just seen.

Harry walked over and waved his hand gently in Arthur's face. "Are you ok Arthur? Do you need to sit down or have some water? I'm sorry to spring this surprise on you like this but it needed to come out."

Arthur Weasley finally found his voice and realized he was surrounded by three of his favorite people. He gave Ginny a kiss to her forehead and finally returned the hug Hermione had been giving him. They released him and he stared down at a suddenly flustered Harry.

"You and Ginny told us that you had inherited a few more titles when we visited you at Potter Manor but I had no idea it was something of this nature. I think I may have some idea why Lord Gryffindor has made appearances but you three must explain it totally to me and… Oh dear, what am I to tell Molly and the boys? This is huge."

Ginny came back to Harry's side. "You can tell Mum of course but how about keeping it from my brothers for a while. We have an idea or two of how to spring the fact upon them."

"As long as you guarantee that the buildings will still be standing after the prank war is concluded, Molly and I will keep the secret of Lord Gryffindor."

Harry impulsively hugged the other wizard and got hugged back before he turned back to Madame Bones. She had regained her composure and was just smiling at Harry as he and the others took their seats. "I trust there is a really good story of how you three became married at such an early age."

"We are planning on springing the surprise on all our friends at Harry's party on Friday. The invitation to Susan did include you and you can hear the explanation along with everyone else if you don't mind."

"This is one function I am really looking forward to attending – are you both Mrs. Potter now?"

Both Ginny and Hermione nodded and Madame Bones started chuckling again. "Then I am really looking forward to seeing the expression on everyone's faces – especially Susan and Neville's."

"There is still one matter up for discussion and it involves outright theft from one of my new accounts at Gringotts." Harry pulled a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Madame Bones. She unfolded it and read it for a minute and then looked up sharply. "Arthur, would you take a look at this please, and see if you are thinking the same thing I am?"

Arthur moved around the desk to see what so fascinated the Head Auror. He read it and then whistled. "This is going to cause a lot of problems for the Ministry Harry."

"I don't really care if it takes Fudge himself down. I want that first name charged and prosecuted. If the DMLE wants to keep their hands clean, it will be Lord Slytherin that files the complaint and the charges."

Arthur visibly started at that name but Madame Bones slowly smiled. "I think I see where this is going. Does it have anything to do with the recent events at Hogwarts?"

Ginny stood up and spoke very quietly and Arthur got a chill up his spine at the tone that came out of her mouth. "It has _EVERYTHING _to do with what happened at Hogwarts last year and it will be Lord and Ladies Potter's names bringing those separate charges."

Madame Bones nodded and knew that she might not hear that whole story anytime soon. "Write down what you need for those other charges against this person. There will be complaints about these charges."

Harry stood up and handed her another piece of paper that Hermione had written out. "Then inform the press and everyone from the Minister on down that Lord Slytherin is doing this legally and not turning the punishment of the guilty over to the goblins. They have a much harder line on theft and interfering with their banking practices. I think the choice would be obvious to even the worse of those idiots."

Even the experienced and hardened Madam Bones winced mentally as she thought about what the goblins might do to someone they felt had wronged them.

"When do you want this acted on Lord Gryffindor?"

Hermione spoke up from where she was seated. "We thought it would make a fantastic start for Harry's birthday, especially if we could be there to make the accusations ourselves. We do have one important piece of side business we feel should also take place at the same time."

Madame Bones leaned back in her chair. "I'm glad you're on the side of light. Very well, Friday morning it is. Shall we meet here in the lobby at eight?"

Harry nodded and Lord Gryffindor was suddenly occupying the space that Harry Potter had been in. "Thank you very much for your time Madame Bones. We'll see you Friday morning. Sorry, Harry and his wives will see you Friday morning; Lord Gryffindor is going fishing that day I believe."

Madame Bones stood up and extended her hand across the desk to her official visitor. "It is a shame that Harry Potter is only going to be a third year this fall. He will make a fine Auror at this rate."

Lord Gryffindor winked back across the desk as he shook her hand. "Confidentially, I'm not sure Harry Potter will want to be an Auror. He's had enough dealings with Dark Lords or Wizards already to last his entire life."

"Pity then. Ginny, what would your 'friend' Harry like for his birthday?"

Lady Potter smiled. "Harry's really not too picky. Just having family and friends nearby seems to be his only request."

"Should make for an interesting Friday all around. Thank you for coming and bringing these matters to my attention. You are always welcome to come back and chat sometime."

Lord Gryffindor reached up and pulled a staff out of mid-air. He bowed to the head of the DMLE. "Thank you for taking the time to hear us out; I try not to be a bother but some things just need to be taken care of."

The two ladies opened the door and left the office. Madame Bones watched as 'Lord Gryffindor' casually draped an arm across Arthur Weasley's shoulders. "Now where do we have to go to get those blasted travelling potions? I heard your son Ron had to drink himself almost unconscious before heading for Romania. I hope Egypt will be a little easier to prepare for than that?"

The office door closed, cutting off the rest of the conversation between the father and his son-in-law. Amelia Bones just shook her head and wondered what other surprises were headed for the Ministry.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17 – Harry Goes Directly to Jail

He hadn't slept well and for once he knew what the cause was. No bad dreams, no foreign memories, no cold feet from Ginny; the cause was pure nervousness. In a few hours, he would be going to one of the most restricted and horrible places in the magical world. Harry would be traveling to Azkaban to finally meet his godfather.

Harry slept fitfully and he finally decided to get up for good when he could see the first blush of light coming through the curtains. He carefully detached Ginny's hand from its place on his hip and crept out of the bed. It had initially been a little strange at Griffin's Lair when he found Ginny's hand inside his shorts when he woke up but she wasn't trying to start anything or get a free feel. She just wanted the reassurance of touching him and Harry just conceded the fact that Ginny and he had fewer nightmares when they were touching during the night.

He looked across the bed and saw that Hermione had thrown the rest of her covers off during the night. He resisted the urge to run his hand down those gorgeous legs and touch her bum but drew the sheet up to at least cover her back. She wouldn't have objected to being woken up that way but Harry didn't know how much of his restlessness had kept the girls awake. So he'd tried being quiet as he dressed and walked out to the balcony to watch the little valley greet the new day.

Harry didn't know how long he sat on one of the chairs lost in his thoughts but he suddenly became aware that Hermione was standing behind him and just waiting on a decision of whether he wanted her company.

'_**Come up and keep me company for a while. I was just too nervous to get much sleep. This is going to be an important day.'**_

'_**But you're worried about it. Meeting Sirius.' **_Hermione reached to touch Harry's shoulder before she came in front of him. She knew he was aware of where she was but she knew he appreciated all the little touches that went with the relationship as well as the more intimate ones.

Harry pulled Hermione down to his lap and kissed her a few times before he noticed that she had thrown a robe on. He was a little relieved that she hadn't just come straight from bed. Her customary practice of sleeping naked was not a distraction he really wanted this morning.

"What if he doesn't like me when he sees me?"

"You've both written to each other a few times. He said he was looking forward to finally meeting you. It will be a huge surprise for him when you show up at Azkaban."

"Yes but.. What if remind him too much of my dad and he gets all mad about the reason he's still in jail? Or the fact that we couldn't prove he didn't kill all those civilians when he went after Peter Pettigrew? What about…?"

Hermione silenced his worries and questions by kissing him to distraction and teasing his tongue with her own. Harry reached through the robe and ran his hand across Hermione's stomach gently. She giggled just a little as Harry deliberately tickled her a bit. She pushed his hand away to see a little smile on Harry's face.

"If you think it will help any, I will write a letter of reference for you to hand your godfather. You're laughing at me. Don't. I'm very willing to write down what a fine upstanding person you are. You're a powerful wizard that cares for the people close to him and would do almost anything for a friend. You're a good student and have a sense of humor that he or any other Marauders would be proud of."

"I think you're just a little prejudiced. I have tons of faults, you know."

"You can be stubborn at times, you put everybody's feelings before your own, you have the worst timing and coordination when traveling by floo, and let's not get started on what you call hair." Ginny's voice whispered in Harry's ear and he turned his head in time to receive another direct kiss to his mouth. Ginny pressed her lips forcefully into Harry's for almost 20 seconds before she withdrew a little. She leaned further over Harry's shoulder to kiss Hermione good morning before she reached her arms down and hugged the pair as best she could.

"Hubby being insecure again?" Hermione nodded to Ginny's question but began playing with his arm. "I think we need to distract him until he gets ready to go to the Ministry this morning."

Harry looked at the two faces smiling at him and thoughts about meeting Sirius were instantly moved to the back of his mind. "What type of distraction are we talking about?"

Ginny looked into Hermione's grin and thought about all the possibilities they could get into. "We just thought it's been a long time since we both gave you a good massage. We'll get the lotion out and massage all those tired and tense muscles. Maybe we can get you back to sleep, some good sleep and you can face going to jail with a little better attitude."

Harry was a little reluctant. Not that a good massage didn't sound great but the few times they had tried this, it had turned into an all-out romp with the three of them and he always felt a little guilty afterwards that he might have taken advantage of them. Hermione climbed off his lap to go find some of the hand and body lotion that she kept around. Ginny tried to jump into Harry's lap but he guessed her intent and just stood up and caught her as she jumped.

"Hey, no fair. I wanted snuggle time."

"Did you completely forget what happened before Nonnie got out of the shower last night Vixen?" Harry waggled his eyebrows at the redhead and she giggled and blushed.

"I'm finally glad I finally talked you into playing with my bum like that. Are you going to hesitate anymore or am I going to have to keep asking? I can't believe it's really taken this long for you to play with my bottom since you keep swearing you like it so much."

"I just wasn't sure it was really that much of a turn on for you but the things you said while I was kissing you there sure convinced me. You've got quite a vocabulary."

Ginny blushed as Harry carried her inside and over to the bed. "Only for you Harry, or Hermione would I let go like that. You really drove me over the edge; you barely touched me in front and I came all over the place."

"I barely noticed but I like seeing your face when you come. It makes me happy that you're happy."

"Well, I was 'happy' to the point of being delirious then." _**'Jamie, Nonnie would definitely like that kind of treatment too. And probably a little more, if you catch my drift.'**_

'_**Wow!'**_

"Is this a private conversation or can anybody join in?"

"I was trying to tell Harry that you would love some bottom pleasuring too." Harry covered his face after he let Ginny down. This conversation couldn't be happening.

Two sets of hands pulled Harry's hands down and he looked into the serious faces of his wives. Hermione started first with a small kiss. "You always said we could tell each other anything. This is part of anything."

Ginny came and put an arm around his waist. "Since we agreed we're not going to have the regular grown up sex for a while yet, I see nothing wrong with having fun with_ all_ the alternatives. You aren't taking advantage of us Harry if we want to participate too. In everything. Okay?"

Harry nodded and reached down and grabbed a handful of her bum. _**'That's the idea Harry; we'll let you know if we don't want you to play with our back sides.'**_

'The conversations that I've had with these two over the last year' Harry was thinking. 'How amazing these incredible women are.' Harry came back to reality and realized that both wives were about halfway through stripping him naked.

Harry had almost got over the embarrassment of being aroused and erect around Hermione and Ginny but they didn't help much by the wolf whistles or tongues hanging out the sides of their mouths when they saw him naked. He climbed carefully back up into bed and sat cross-legged while he watched the girls climb up beside him.

"Are you sure we can't take a picture of Em to keep in our purses Harry?"

Harry shook his head and moved to settle himself on his stomach with his hands by his sides. He felt both girls caress his bum and tried to relax. "I'd be willing to have a picture of this instead Jamie."

"That might be something we could work out if I could get a picture of your lovely derrieres in trade." Harry kept his eyes closed as the girls got comfortable beside him.

"Okay Harry, we are going to work on you. You get to keep your hands to yourself this time."

"Darn."

"Rules are rules, remember?"

"How about this for a concession Jamie? You can't touch us with hands but it certain things happen to fall around your mouth, you will be allowed to taste or lick."

"I can live with that I suppose." Harry smiled and turned his head sideways to see that Ginny had come up to kneel above his shoulders so she could work on his shoulders and arms. Ginny held out her hands to get some of the lotion from Hermione and Harry heard her rubbing hers hands together to get it warm.

She began working on his neck and shoulders at about the same time that Hermione started laying her hands across his right calf and worked down to his foot. She switched over to his other leg without out once trying to tickle the bottom of his feet. Harry relaxed as both girls concentrated on working on his muscles.

Ginny worked her way down to the middle of his back and then switched over to paying attention to first one arm and another. She then straddled his upper back and worked on the muscles below his shoulder blades and down to his waist. Harry tried not to groan as he felt Ginny's bum squirm around in the lotion she had just applied. He was just starting to catch the scent of their arousals but he tried to stay motionless and relaxed.

Meanwhile Hermione had moved Harry's feet gently apart so she could sit between his knees and work on each thigh separately. Harry was getting both relaxed and sensitized as the muscles were pummeled and kneaded by two sets of hands.

Harry suspected it was an intentional coincidence that Hermione's and Ginny's hands stroked across his butt at about the same time. One set of hands going up and the other offset pair of hands moving toward his feet. Harry groaned as the feeling of being both caressed and massaged was something very sensual.

"Are we going this okay Harry? It isn't causing you any pain is it?"

"Very much okay. I guess I'm starting to understand why you like this so much Gin."

Harry felt both of them pause to re-lotion their hands and then he felt them both go back to working on his bum. Ginny's hand began pushing his cheeks down and out and he shuddered once when Hermione ran her joined fingers up his crack. She did it a few times and then asked Harry if he was uncomfortable with what she was doing. Harry let her mentally know he trusted her and that the sensations were pretty intense but he really couldn't say that it was bad.

Ginny stopped with her kneading and then began running her nails over his muscles just trying to raise some goosebumps. Harry snorted once when he felt her succeed and a little shiver ran up his spine.

"This is the last bit before we let you turn over and work on your front." Harry was expecting it but it still was a mild shock when a lotioned hand stroked up from his dangly bits and ran lightly up across the whole length of his crack.

Harry had to wait until the girls moved before he carefully got to his hands and knees to turn over. That they were impressed by his 'rise and shine' attitude when he settled on his back was easy to see by the smiles in their eyes. "I guess he's not going to get much sleep in that condition, is he Vixen?"

"I don't think so Nonnie. Guess we'll have to take care of him the old fashioned way." Harry raised his head and watched as Ginny dumped a bunch of lotion over both Nonnie's hand and Em. Harry was amazed to see how fast the four hands worked in unison to get rid of his almost painful condition. That there was a big mess to clean up was something the girls didn't complain of as they both slid their bodies up Harry's, reaching his lips to kiss them gently. Harry didn't even realize he had slipped into a wonderful sleep until the girls woke him up for breakfast an hour later.

Xxxx xxxx

Remus was sitting outside the reception room downstairs reading a copy of The Quibbler as he waited for 'Lord Gryffindor'. He put the paper down with all the others when he saw the three Potters finally make their way downstairs. It had bothered him on some level when he saw Hermione and Ginny hanging on to someone else's arm rather than Harry's (even it was Harry). He knew they made an effort not to be seen as being too familiar with Harry's other identities but the rules around the Manor were a little more relaxed.

Ginny pulled Robb low to give him a good hug and kiss and Hermione just clung to him in a hug before letting him go. "Let us listen in to the conversation if the wards aren't too strong. We want to get to know Sirius too." Robb (Harry) nodded his agreement and asked the girls what they were getting up to while he was off visiting. "We're still making preparations for the party and we have to make a quick trip to Madame Malkin's about that special item you wanted. Don't worry about us."

They both gave Harry another quick kiss and left the hallway to the two wizards. Robb whistled at them when they walked away and both girls turned to wave at the large version of their husband. Remus smiled as he saw the longing look Harry gave his wives before turning to say hello to him.

"Is this a bad idea Remus? I want to see Sirius a lot but not if my being there is too hard for him to take."

"He will be totally blown away that you managed to come and visit him. The first question I always get asked whenever I visit him is how you are doing. He's been quite amazed about your adventures and he's just trying to be a model prisoner until his time is officially up."

"Okay, I guess we'd better get going then. Age before beauty."

"Yes, your bossness. I'll go first because I know to totally get out of the way of anywhere you're flooing. Answer a question to me first though. How does Robb Loxley see so clearly when Harry Potter is half-blind without his glasses?"

Robb reached up and pulled something off his face. "Invisible glasses. One of the neat things about two wives that read a lot is that they tumble on to some of the most useful spells." He replaced something on his face and Remus wasn't really sure if he was being pranked or not. It was sometimes difficult to tell with Harry. He could say the most obvious lie sometimes without blinking; Remus attributed that to a certain ex-Weasley's influence.

Remus reached for the green powder next to the floo and cast it on the flagstones. He yelled out 'Ministry of Magic' and then he was flying quickly pass numerous grates. He arrived at one of the many fireplaces in the reception hall of the Ministry. Remus stepped out of the floo quickly and then took three giant steps to the side. He was none too quick as Lord Gryffindor came striding out of the floo point after him. Strangely enough, the man didn't stumble a bit. Remus looked closely and saw that Robb (Harry) wasn't quite touching the ground; he was about an inch off the ground but nobody seemed to be noticing it. Robb took a few steps and looked around; Remus saw him ground himself and smiled. 'There was more than one way to skin a runespoor. There was hope for the lad yet.'

A female voice called out a greeting and Robb and Remus turned to see Tonks waving at them frantically to get their attention. They both winced when she tripped over another wizard's umbrella and promptly sprawled across the floor. The two wizards hurried over to help pick her up and she pulled a wand to remove the rest of the floo dust from their cloaks. "Bout time you two got here. Lazing around all morning with those two foxes I bet."

"Wotcher Tonks." Harry resisted the urge to pick the small Auror up and swing her around a bit.

"Morning Dora." The greeting from Remus Lupin almost caused Tonks to trip over her own feet again. Robb put out a steadying arm and caught her before she fell totally to the floor. Auror Tonks straightened up her doublet and cape and motioned for the two to follow her to the security checkpoint.

Harry tried hiding behind Tonks and Remus as they stated their business and were cleared to proceed to the elevators. Harry reached for his staff and produced it from midair. He held it behind his back as he stepped up to the desk.

"Name and Business?"

"Good Morning Auror Nervish. How are you this fine day?"

The voice alone caused the auror to wince but his face lost all color when he looked up to see Lord Gryffindor again. Nervish braced himself for another confusing encounter.

"Welcome back Lord Gryffindor. Are you heading up to see the Minister? He was a little upset that you didn't accept his invitation for a private conference in his chambers."

"I'm really sorry about that and I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to meet with him today either. I've an appointment and permission to go to Azkaban prison. So I hope I'm on your clipboard for a visit to the second floor and the DMLE secured floo point. You wouldn't want to skive off your duty and accompany me would you?"

Auror Nervish shook his head frantically. "Thank you for that fine offer but I'm afraid I have to remain on duty here today. Here's your visitor pass. Please keep it displayed at all times. They aurors will give you a different one to wear at Azkaban at the floo point."

"Thank you for this prompt help Auror Dervish. I do have one little problem though. I simply cannot take my staff with me; the instructions I received were quite explicit on that matter. You seem like a nice sort so I'm going to leave it here for you to guard it for me." Robb Loxley laid his staff across the security desk. Much to the consternation of the auror on duty.

"I.. I 'm not allowed to do this Lord Gryffindor. There are proper storage repositories upstairs to leave wands and other magical devices in."

"Nonsense, it's not that big a deal. I'll leave it now and collect from you on the way back. Thanks. I'll make sure to mention your name to Minister Fudge if he ever catches up with me."

"Thanks, I guess. Have a nice visit to the Ministry, Lord Gryffindor." Harry clapped the auror on the shoulder as he walked by him. Remus and Tonks were watching Nervish as he stared at the staff on his desk. It floated up by itself about a foot and Nervish put a quick hand out to force it back to the desk. Then his desk started floating off the ground. Nervish threw a frustrated glance at the retreating back of one Lord Gryffindor and wished his day was already over.

Harry kept silent in the elevator as he thought about the rest of the day. They went through two more checkpoints that had Tonks displaying the written orders from Madame Bones. Before they reached the room with the dedicated floo point in it, both Tonks and Remus had to surrender their wands. The auror on duty cast a small spell on Robb to see if he was carrying a concealed wand. Lord Gryffindor made no objection as he was searched.

Turning to their escort after reaching the final room Robb smiled down at her. "Thanks for bringing us this far Tonks. Are you going to be sticking around to escort us out? Our visit is only authorized for two hours and I guess that includes the time on the rowboat to get out and back from the island."

"I'm afraid Lord Gryffindor that you're stuck with me for the duration. While Madame Bones trusts in your conforming to the rules, it is the practice to always have an accompanying guard to help protect you. She finally granted my request to go see my cousin so we're both getting something out of this."

Looking at his friend, Remus whispered a small bit of news. "Dora is actually Sirius' cousin. Her side of the family was disowned and she hasn't got a chance to visit him before today."

Robb stepped up to quietly speak to the girl. "Why didn't you say something before now? Even Harry has a little pull with the Minister of Magic and could have arranged a visit for you before now."

Tonks looked up into the face of her junior friend. "Harry, you're a dear and I really appreciate the offer but Sirius wouldn't have wanted to see me right after he got out from under the Dementors guardianship. I'm not positive he knows I'm an auror anyway; I've asked Remus to keep that fact away from him. So no real time loss of opportunity. Let's just get through the next bit until we can see your godfather."

Harry nodded and got in line after Tonks at the floo point. She went first calling out for 'Azkaban access checkpoint' and the green flames quickly rose up and whisked her away.

Nervously calling out his destination, Robb Loxley took his own journey by floo. Like the one the Weasleys had to get Ginny to the medical wing at Hogwarts, this floo went directly to the grate that was the end destination. Harry stumbled again but Tonks was there to lend Lord Gryffindor a hand to keep him from falling. Remus followed through about ten seconds later.

While Tonks was showing her order to yet another pair of guards Robb took a look around at the bleak landscape. They were standing on a rocky windswept shore with nothing but a small guardhouse and a little dock with a small boat attached to it. A cold biting wind came in from the ocean and led one's eyes to a small island a ways offshore.

Satisfied that the paperwork was in order, the bigger of the two aurors led the way down to the dock and just pointed where he wanted the three of them to sit. Harry and Remus took the middle seat while Tonks fit herself into the smaller seat at the bow. The auror, who hadn't talked yet, stood in the rear of the little boat with his hand on the tiller. There was no indication of any spell cast but the small boat soon started moving by itself.

Harry took the opportunity of the silence to ask Remus about the supernatural guards at the prison – the Dementors. He wasn't too pleased with the description he got back.

"Dementors are among the foulest creatures that walk this earth. They infest the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them. Even Muggles feel their presence, though they can't see them. Get too near a Dementor and every good feeling; every happy memory will be sucked out of you. If it can, the Dementor will feed on you long enough to reduce you to something like itself...soul-less and evil. You will be left with nothing but the worst experiences of your life." (JK Rowling, Prison of Azkaban, Chapter 10)

Harry was wondering privately what sort of shape Sirius would be in after being exposed to those 'beings' for over 10 years. He would be seeing for himself soon enough.

The island loomed out of the sea like a large boil. It was dark and forbidding – it seemed to scream out a message of despair and isolation unlike anything Harry had ever experienced before. Even his time in his cupboard under the Dursleys stairs seemed comfy when compared to what he was seeing before him. Remus touched Tonks on the arm and held out a piece of chocolate for her. She smiled slowly but gratefully took the candy. Harry popped a piece into his mouth when Remus offered it to him.

The closer they got, the more details could be seen of Azkaban itself. The was a tall grey tower five stories high that had a number of black shapes flying in random patterns around it. "Those are the Dementors that guard the worse of the prisoners. That's where Sirius was until you intervened Harry."

There was a high grey wall that surrounded the top of the island and Harry could just see the top of a blockhouse that was set off to the extreme left of the tower with the Dementors.

Tonks pointed where Harry was looking. "That's where we're headed Lord Gryffindor. The tower holds the most dangerous and despicable criminals while the aurors guard the others in the blockhouse. The guards are changed out every six hours to counter the proximity of the Dementors but even they suffer some long term effects."

Harry sighed. He would have to ask Dumbledore or Madame Pomfrey if there was a remedy for that exposure that the lesser criminals were exposed to. He had no time to pose the question to Remus because the boat they were in was approaching the small dock on the island. The auror at the tiller grabbed a stanchion mounted to the dock and told the three that he would be back in an hour ("No more and no less.") to return them to the floo point. They had barely stepped off the dock when the boat began moving back the way they had come.

Tonks led the way up the leftward branch of the rock path and the three soon came to an iron gate in the stone wall. Another brandishing of the signed orders passed them through the wall and they were made to follow another auror who led them up to Sirius's cell.

The auror ordered the occupant to stand back from the door and unlocked it. He then motioned for the three to enter and quickly locked the door behind them.

Harry initially didn't get a good look at Sirius Black because he engulfed his friend Remus in a tight hug. It was a while before Sirius turned to look at his other visitors.

Harry was a little shocked at Sirius' appearance. His hair was long and stringy and hung down past his shoulders. He was thin, exceedingly thin and his face had a gaunt and drawn aspect to it. His skin tone was a little yellowish and grey eyes looked out from dark and sunken sockets. He looked almost as a ghost or a ghoul on a bad day and Harry wondered how much worse he had been in that terrible tower on the other side of the island.

"So who dares comes to see the black sheep of the fallen House of Black?" Sirius voice was a little unsteady as if he wasn't used to speaking to anyone and Harry vaguely remembered hearing screams coming from the area that the Dementors patrolled.

"You've lost your memory as well as your grooming habits cousin?" There was a little feistiness in Tonks voice despite the shock on her face. Harry gave her credit for putting on a brave show despite the obvious emotions that she was undergoing.

"Dorie, little cousin Dorie? It can't be you; it's been so many years. What, how did you get here?"

Tonks grinned and her hair flashed through a few different colors to the delight of Sirius. Sirius finally barked out a laugh and just grabbed the girl up and tried to swing her around in a hug. He wasn't quite strong enough to do that and Remus had to catch them both and swung them to the little cot to stop their falling to the floor.

Harry looked around at the rough cell his godfather was occupying. It was about 10 feet square and was furnished with a threadbare cot, a table and chair and a small toilet that had a half wall to provide the barest of privacies. A four foot window was divided by what appeared to be steel bars. Aside from the pile of papers and a few writing tools that sat on the table, there was nothing of a personal nature was in the cell. Harry gulped as he remembered that this sorry existence was an upgrade from whatever his accommodations had been before. He almost felt like crying at the sad life his godfather was living with but remembered he wasn't here for a pity party or to cause trouble. He had been in almost the same state before he came to Hogwarts.

Sirius had spent a few minutes catching up to his cousin. He was very surprised but delighted that she was an auror now. When he got a chance to catch his breath Sirius finally cast a critical eye to the other person in the room. "And who the frack are you supposed to be? Another ministry glory boy come to look down your nose at me?"

Taking a deep breath, Harry stepped forward and extended his hand. "Robb Loxley, I'm…"

"A liar." Sirius stood up straight and stared up at the bigger wizard. "I'm not as stupid as you think I am. Anybody with an ounce of intelligence and a slight knowledge of muggle literature would recognize a made up name from Robin Hood."

"The Minister of Magic believed it" Remus said jokingly from the background.

"Like I said - anybody with an ounce of intelligence. Saying that Fudge has an ounce of intelligence would be exaggerating the facts by about a whole ounce."

Harry and Tonks both laughed. Harry was a little relieved that Sirius seemed to have his wits about him; it was one of the matters of worry for all the Potters.

"I'm actually Lord Gryffindor although I seemed to have been granted a few other titles lately."

"So we're back to my original questions. Who are you and why are you here?"

Tonks stood up and patted Sirius on the shoulder. "Somebody you never expected to see here." She went past Harry to stand against the door, hiding the view inside from anybody outside that might want to take a look.

Harry took a nervous look around and caught the nods from Remus and Tonks. He stepped forward again and dropped all the disguises he had been carrying around.

"I'm actually Harry. Harry Potter; it's nice to finally meet you godfather."

Sirius's mouth dropped like a shot and he staggered back to sit on the cot. He looked wildly around the room as if he couldn't believe his ears and then turned a pleading look to his friend.

Remus nodded. "It really is Harry. He figured out a way to get here and see you."

Sirius lurched to his feet to try crossing the floor but staggered to his knees. Harry somehow found himself in Sirius's arms and then they were both crying. Harry felt a lot of the despair the older wizard was carrying around be released in that hug and expression of welcome and thanks. Harry didn't know how long they knelt there on the floor comforting each other but it was Remus who came up and gently touched their shoulders. "We've only an hour and part of its already passed."

Remus helped Sirius up and walked him back to the cot. He sat down and Harry pulled up the chair from the desk. They both stared at each other for a bit and then Sirius chuckled. "Not many 12 years old could con the Ministry in getting a pass out to this cesspool of a place."

"I didn't con anyone. The head of the DMLE herself gave me and Lord Gryffindor a proper order allowing me to come out and check on you."

"Lord Gryffindor huh. Remus said you were full of surprises but I never expected this. He also said you have two girlfriends – your father would have liked to seen that."

"I'm not exactly sure my mum would approve of the situation I'm in right now. I'm legally married to both of them – Ginny Weasley, the daughter of Arthur and Molly and Hermione Granger, a muggleborn witch. They are both very smart and very attractive."

Sirius turned to Remus against as he bit back a laugh at the prank Harry was trying to pull. However Remus was nodding his head in agreement and suddenly Sirius felt a little old. "What have you been up to little one?"

"A lot more than I ever intended" Harry said quietly. He held out his hands and removed the glamor that concealed all the rings he wore. Sirius recognized the Potter House ring right off as James had worn it from time to time. That the boy (or young man Sirius amended) also wore two Hogwarts house rings that should only be part of the Founder's families was something he just couldn't put his mind around.

"There's so much I need to tell you and so many questions I need to ask you." Sirius saw that there were again tears running down Harry's cheeks and he pulled the boy into another hug.

Sirius had a hard time getting a coherent response back to Harry. "I'm sorry I haven't been there for you Harry. I should have never left you to go on that fool chase after Pettigrew. My blasted temper cost me the chance of watching you grow up and it's too late now."

Harry felt the prodding coming from Ginny and Hermione all those miles away. "It's not too late for me to still want and need your help and guidance. I'm not thirteen yet and while I've been playing a pretty good game of catch up, I know that I'm nowhere near where I need to be with all this responsibility that I've stumbled into. No to mention all the other troubles I have."

Sirius bent his head and Harry had to strain to hear his voice. "I always held out the hope that that you might still want me as part of your life in spite of the horrendous mistake I made. I'm a little relieved that you might still want a crazy marauder as part of your life. But I'm still stuck here in jail."

"But at least you have a chance for getting out now and I'm trying to work on proving your other innocence."

Sirius looked in the determined face of his godson and thought that James and Lily would be very proud of the way their son had turned out. Even with his absence.

The two sat quietly for the rest of their allotted time, talking to and about each other and their families. They both had horribly disappointed looks when a knock came on the door announcing that their time was up. Sirius looked a little guiltily at Tonks and Remus and apologized for ignoring them. They both said that they had simply enjoyed watching the two bring together and that was very comforting. Harry whispered something into Sirius's ear and he looked pointedly at his cousin and his friend before laughing.

Before he changed back into his alter ego, Harry said he had a present for his godfather. Sirius didn't understand but when Harry pulled him into a last hug, the two were surrounded by a soft yellow glow. Sirius was stunned when he pulled back from Harry that he felt much younger and fitter.

Harry looked at his godfather after the healing spell he placed on him. The gaunt and haunted look was gone and Sirius had lost the yellow and undernourished appearance he had when they had entered his cell.

Harry stepped back and let Tonks and Remus give their proper goodbyes. When Sirius had finished with their hugs, he looked and saw Lord Gryffindor had gone down to one knee before him. Sirius shook his head and feinted a right cross to the person's head. Robb ducked and stood up with a wink at his godfather. He offered his hand again to shake but Sirius pulled him into another, more hearty hug.

The door opened and all three visitors walked out with backward waves to the person that they all cared about. Sirius watched them go and then laid back on his cot with all the new information and ideas about his godson. The papers that Remus had brought for him to read could be put off at least until Sirius considered something he hadn't been sure of two hours ago. A future.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18 – Harry's Birthday

A. The Morning

July 31st, 1993 dawned promising to be a nice warm sunny day. It took a bit of talking to convince Luff to give her kitchen over to Mrs. Weasley for the day. Ginny flooed to The Burrow to bring her mother back early and Hermione did the same with her mother. It took a greater deal of talking to convince Mrs. Weasley to let Luff take a part in preparing things for the party for Harry, his extended family and their friends. Mr. Weasley and Mr. Granger were both working a half day and would be shuttled over to Potter Manor after they returned home.

When Harry was satisfied that everyone would be cooperating in the kitchen, he told both his mother-in-laws that he and the girls had a brief errand to run but they would be back by mid-morning. Both Molly and Dee gave Harry and their daughters a kiss and told them to go out and have some fun and things would be almost ready when they came back. Harry smiled at the way Molly and Dee were getting along but told them that he needed to see them, Arthur and Tony after they came back but before the party started.

Neither Molly nor Dee had a clue that their daughters and husband had an appointment to meet the head of the DMLE at the Ministry of Magic.

At 9 am Harry Potter casually walked through the wards surrounding a large mansion located in Wiltshire, England. Harry had a lot of time to think as he walked up the long driveway to the front doors of the house. Even though today's encounter had been planned in great detail, there was still a possibility of things going wrong. Hermione and Ginny were walking next to Harry and keeping him focused on the job at hand. They were disillusioned to the point of not casting a shadow even in the bright sunshine. They were also trying to keep Harry from flattening everything in his sight as his temper bubbled up under his calm exterior.

Harry finally reached the front doors of the mansion and calmly knocked three times on the great pine doors. It was a couple of seconds later when the doors were opened and Harry smiled down at the familiar face holding onto the door edge.

"Hello Dobby."

"Master Harry Potter. You should not be here, it is very dangerous for your …" Dobby was staring at a spot to Harry's immediate right and Harry put a finger to his lips, warning the house elf to keep his secret for a bit.

"Why haven't you announced who is at the door, you miserable excuse…" Lucius Malfoy's voice stopped in shock as he saw who was brazenly waiting on his doorstep.

"Harry Potter. There have been reports of your death and disappearance from Hogwarts. I am sure you have perfectly good reason for being here and without Dumbledore to protect you."

"Actually Mr. Malfoy, I am here to return something to you. Something you deliberately misplaced." Harry stepped forward a couple of steps and shoved a black covered object right into Lucius Malfoy's stomach. Harry stepped back and gripped his wand nervously as the elder Malfoy glared at him before looking at what he had thrust upon him. He unwrapped the black cover and threw it at the house elf standing nervously beside him.

Lucius Malfoy looked at the stained and ruined journal in his hands with some disgust. He stared at the large hole that Harry had made through the cover with a fang. "And what is this supposed to be Potter?"

"That Mr. Malfoy is one of the 'historical artifacts' that used to belong to you. A diary from a past student of Hogwarts. You tried passing along it to Ginny Weasley that day back in Diagon Alley when your son insulted her."

"I have no idea of what you're blabbering about."

"Oh, but I think you do. It's a pity that Draco left the scene so quickly that day. He could have told you that that cauldron didn't belong to Ginny but one of her friends. That diary was passed amongst a number of first and second year witches before it finally invaded Ginny's mind. The memory and spirit of Tom Riddle intended to begin his reign of terror again by stealing Ginny's magic and destroying as many muggle students as he could."

"The memory of whom? Riddle? Who is he? What a fanciful imagination you have Potter."

"No dream at all sir. I saw young Tom Riddle stealing the spirit of two witches in the Chamber of Secrets and I battled the basilisk that had been attacking the muggle-born. All at the behest of Voldemort."

"This is pure poppycock. No one will believe your story."

"Well, there is a half-processed body of a basilisk – too bad you will never see it. It was a memory that started this mess. Funny thing about memories; they can work both ways. I've found that they have this wonderful thing called pensieves; you can store and review your memories in them. Madame Bones was most interested in hearing and seeing what happened in the Chamber of Secrets and finding out how that diary appeared at Hogwarts."

"Children are not allowed to use pensieves. Try to PROVE anything you think you know."

"Wrong, wrong, wrong. On so very many counts. I have proof enough to have a warrant issued to search your house for your other 'historical' artifacts."

"I've had enough of these worthless meanderings. Dobby throw this …trash out!"

Dobby had been watching the conversation between his master and Harry. He stared at Harry when he was given the command to get rid of the unwelcome guest. Harry shook his head but pointed at Dobby's hands. Dobby looked down at the black wrapping that the elder Malfoy had thrown at him.

Holding up the material, Dobby looked at it in amazement. "A cloak, Master has given Dobby a cloak. Clothes, real clothes. Dobby is free."

Malfoy snatched up the material to look at a perfectly constructed miniature black cloak; just the right size for a house elf. He threw the cloak and the diary down in anger.

"You tricked me and cost me my servant! You shall pay for that Potter!" The elder Malfoy drew his wand but he was hit by two stunners and a binding spell. And then Dobby cast a spell that picked up Lucius Malfoy, lifted him up five feet and dropped him on his head.

Dobby walked over and kicked the stunned Malfoy in the buttocks. "You shall not harm Harry Potter ever again!" The laughter that erupted from a number of female voices caused Dobby to turn around in surprise.

Ginny and Hermione cast off their disillusionment spells and Madame Bones removed the invisibility cloak she had borrowed from Harry. Harry waved his hands and removed the spells from Malfoy. All three were smiling at groaning wizard that was lying on the ground.

Dobby ran over and threw himself at Harry, wrapping himself around Harry's knees. "You are a great and wonderful wizard Harry Potter. Dobby is ever grateful for your freeing him. Dobby is free! Dobby is free!"

Harry detached the little elf and knelt down to look at him. "Dobby, would you consider coming to work for me? I've grown fond of you and I think it would be safer for me if I knew what you were doing."

"Of course, Dobby would be very happy to help serve…." Dobby stopped and took a good look at the young wizard. "Lord Potter… you do me great honor to serve you and your ladies."

"Lord? Potter is no more a lord than that mudblood Granger is a lady."

Harry turned suddenly at the voice of Lucius Malfoy and strode over to where the wizard was laying on the ground. He kicked him hard - in the stomach!

He went down on one knee to address the suddenly gasping Malfoy. The voice that came out of the 'boys' mouth was suddenly much lower and deadly serious. "You shall pay some respect _Mr. _Malfoy to a Lady of the Realm. And the wife of Lord Harry Potter, Earl of Lincolnshire and Fife, Head of the Houses of Potter, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Kaddle, Gladney, and Valcommon."

Malfoy's eyes widened at the tone and titles that came from the 'boy' who he thought he was superior to. He looked on with horror as he saw the official Slytherin House ring adorning the finger of the nuisance that he considered a half-breed. "The Minister of Magic shall hear of this indignity" he managed to croak out in stubborn defiance.

"Good" said Madame Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Ministry Law Enforcement. "You shall both have plenty of time to talk in your cell together while the full Wizengamot considers the amount of money that has been stolen from a Gringotts account that doesn't belong to you and passed through your coffers to his. There is also the matter of pulling a wand on the head of an Ancient and Noble House. That alone carries a sentence of ten years at Azkaban. Lord Potter leads two so I imagine the penalty will at least double." Madame Bones hauled a struggling Lucius Malfoy to his feet and put some manacles on his hands with the assistance of two other Aurors that suddenly appeared.

Madame Bones turned and gave Harry, Ginny and Hermione a deep bow. "Thank you for the assistance Lord and Ladies Potter. We shall remove this suspect and make a thorough search of his house for any other dark objects."

The Head Auror went to where the prisoner was being held and directed the Aurors to leave. A female voice interrupted the proceedings. "Might I have a second please?"

Madame Bones watched as Ginny Weasley – no, Lady Ginny Potter walked forward to address Lucius Malfoy. "While you are rotting away in a cell at Azkaban, I want you to think about this every single day. Your actions may have hurt me and a few others at Hogwarts but _you_ are the one directly responsible for emancipating Harry Potter and making him a Lord. Thank you for that."

Ginny turned, took two steps and then spun back. She kicked Lucius Malfoy squarely in the crotch! When he fell to his knees in pain, Ginny Potter swung a right hand and landed a punch to his jaw. He sprawled out unconscious on the ground!

"There, now he's ready to leave! I hope we'll see you later at the party Madame Bones."

Ginny walked back to Harry and Hermione rubbing her hand a little. Harry and Hermione both enveloped her in a hug and laughed at her revenge. "That felt great. But I'm afraid I used a tad bit of the bond magic with that punch" Ginny said blushingly.

Madame Bones bowed a little to the Potter family and strode into Lucius Malfoy's home. Four aurors followed her in with their wands drawn.

"Dobby, we're going home now. Hang on and we'll show you to Potter Manor." The house elf came over and laid a hand on Harry's arm. There was a small sound of a portkey activating and then the space was empty except for an echo of laughter.

The Potter family had gone home.

B. The Afternoon

Harry asked Rettus to show the cape-wearing Dobby around the grounds and where he could find a place to stay. He promised the free elf that they would sit down together later to have a nice long discussion. Dobby went happily off with Rettus and the two elves were soon seen laughing and talking about 'their' Harry Potter.

Hermione and Ginny both gave Harry a hug and said that they were proud of him for not totally blasting Malfoy Mansion into little pieces. Harry smiled and told Ginny it was a good thing Madame Pomfrey wasn't with them earlier. "She would have handed out demerits for such an un-Healer thing you did."

"It would have been worth getting any demerits. That felt so good but I can't decide which felt better; punching him out or making him temporarily a soprano."

The three were still laughing together as they came into the kitchen. Hermione ran over and gave her father a hug while Harry tried finding out what was going to be served at the party. Mrs. Weasley gently pushed Harry out of the kitchen and Harry asked everyone to come to the study when Mr. Weasley arrived.

It was almost a half hour later that Harry's wives and in-laws wandered into the study. Harry stood at the corner of the desk and Hermione came over and gave him a little kiss as she stood beside him. Ginny took a place at Harry's shoulder as the two couples found some seats in the room.

Harry asked if anyone wanted anything to eat and drink and wasn't too surprised when no one asked for anything. "I wanted to thank you all for coming today and taking some time off from work. Molly, and Dee, I'm sure the food will be outstanding as usual. I, we, wanted to talk to you about something you know. But what you know is only part of the story and before things get too much further along, we wanted to tell and show you the rest."

Hermione began the explanation. "All four of you have already met Jamie Evans." There was a little shimmer in the air and Jamie stood in the place Harry had been.

"Harry undertook the spell to transform himself to keep himself safe from possible Deatheaters and all the people who just want to use the Boy-Who-Lived. He also partially did this to keep attention away from Ginny, me and our families in an effort to protect us from possible enemies also."

"We didn't think much of this" Ginny continued, "as Harry was just being Harry."

"My transformations began becoming easier and easier as time went on as I got used to using the magic. I had a bit of fun last Christmas holiday doing some impressions for Hermione."

"He turned himself into Ron once and I almost hexed him into little pieces." Hermione looked to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley as she said that.

"Well that's understandable" Mr. Weasley said. "Having one Ronald Weasley around is a bit much some days. I can imagine the shock of him showing up unexpectantly."

"I was sitting on Harry's lap at the time." Even Molly Weasley chuckled as she imagined Hermione suddenly finding herself with her youngest son.

"As time went on I found out that the impersonations I was doing were becoming easier and easier because I was a metamorphmagus."

"That explains a lot" Arthur Weasley said. He saw the puzzled look on Tony and Dee's face and explained it for them. "It's a special and rare magical ability to totally transform one's self into anybody else."

"Which came in handy last year because we needed a Founder heir to show up at Hogwarts to explain some of the decisions Harry made."

"And voila." Everyone looked from Hermione to a deeper voice that suddenly appeared. Lord Gryffindor came over to introduce himself to a grinning Molly Weasley and a slightly confused Dee Granger. After he kissed the back of her hand, Dee turned and leveled a glare at her daughter.

"You sneak you! You led me and your father on deliberately."

"What did Hermione do Dee?" came from Harry who had gone back to his original form.

"I received a letter from my daughter about how smitten she was with the tall, dashing new lord at the school. How she was totally in love with this much older man and that she couldn't imagine how her life would be complete without being near him."

"Hermione, you didn't?" Ginny tried to be outraged but she was failing miserably.

Dee came over and grabbed her daughter by a cheek. "She said she was even thinking of breaking up with Harry over this other man. We were totally devastated by how easily she was swayed just by looks. We wrote her a very strong reply telling her what we thought of this Lord Gryffindor."

"He is a bit of a rogue at times but I think Harry's relationship is totally safe." Lord Gryffindor picked Hermione up and placed her on his hip. "So you like older men Mrs. Potter?"

"It was supposed to be a joke. I thought they knew I wouldn't look at anybody else."

"Good answer." Robb Loxley put Hermione down and kissed her cheek with a grin.

"So what does all that have to do with what you wanted to tell us?"

Harry bit his lip briefly to Arthur's question as he returned to normal. "When we all merged when the bond magic engulfed us in the Chamber, some of that ability got passed along to Ginny and Hermione."

"Are you metamorphic little witches now?" Dee asked with a grin.

"Yes and no" responded Ginny. "Yes we have a little of that shape changing ability and no – we aren't exactly little witches anymore."

Molly Weasley jumped to her feet. "Are you two.. sorry Harry, three all right?"

Harry stood up a little straighter from the corner of the desk. "We are perfectly fine and healthy. Do you remember when Professor Dumbledore said that the bond magic might advance us mentally, magically and…"

"Physically" said Tony Granger. "How 'old' are you three now?"

"According to the calendar, I've turned 13 today and Ginny will be 12 in a couple of weeks and Hermione 14 on September 19th. We are going to appear that age and 'grow' along with our friends for a lot of reasons. But you four need to understand who and what we really are."

The air shimmered around the desk and instead of the three maybe 15 year olds, the four parents gasped at the real appearance of Harry, Ginny, and Hermione.

Tony and Dee Granger judged their daughter to be at least 18. She had grown four or five inches and her gawky youthful appearance had matured into that of a very lovely young lady. The fuzzy hair had given way to slightly wavy deep brown tresses and Hermione's immature form had filled out to be a younger version of her own mother.

Molly walked over in a daze to see the gorgeous young lady that she recognized as her daughter. Ginny had grown a few inches herself and the fiery head of hair had grown below her shoulder blades and was folded into an elaborate French braid that Molly had never seen before. The freckles that Ginny often complained to her mother about had faded out so that there were only a few remaining across her nose and over her cheekbones. Her face was a gorgeous sight that almost brought tears to Arthur's eyes. He had never imagined his little princess growing up to be such a stunning beauty.

The two young ladies walked away from their mothers and held out their hands to the gentleman that they had fallen in love with. The 'real' Harry Potter that stood in the library was tall, fit, and no longer lean to the point of looking sick. The scar on his forehead had faded away and could only be seen if one knew where it had been. Harry was about two inches taller than Hermione and a hand's breadth more than that for Ginny. He pulled them into a thoroughly unabashed hug that made the three almost glow together.

The undeniable fact that the four adults saw was a trio that was totally enraptured with each other and just seemed to belong together. The sight of the almost fully grown threesome dispelled the last of the vague doubts that any of the parents might have had about the impossible marriage and arrangement.

The air shimmered one more time and the 'usual' appearance of the two daughters and Harry Potter returned. Harry looked up at his extended mothers and fathers. "We've decided to tell the rest of our friends this afternoon at the party and hope that Luna's father won't pass up a chance to publish another exclusive story about Harry Potter and his marriage. The age of consent for the magical world is fifteen and until we are all that age - _by the calendar_ – nobody will speculate or say one word about what happens when we are alone."

"Mum, Dee - Harry is extremely serious about that age of consent. We may all go crazy from time to time but we'll manage to wait. Harry has never broken his word to either of us and we know he means it. So don't worry about our marriage. Or our virtue."

Harry shook himself and took a deep breath; before he could leave the room both Arthur and Tony stopped him. Arthur didn't say anything but clasped him on the shoulder and nodded. Tony spun Harry around and just gave him a good hug. "My daughter deserved somebody wonderful in her life. She has two now. Thank you."

Harry wiped a tear away from his eye and mumbled something about going and meeting his guests. He waved once and hurried out the door. Ginny and Hermione spread a few hugs around and then hurried after their husband.

The parents of Harry's wives sat back and tried to digest what they had just heard and seen. Molly was the first to break the silence. "I've had my reservations about all this but this changes things. The trouble is what do we do with the situation now?"

"It's clear we have to help them somehow" Dee responded.

Arthur stood up and motioned to Tony. "I'm pretty sure we're not needed here now." As they were walking out the door, Tony whispered just loud enough for Arthur to hear. "Do you suppose Harry is going to like or hate what our wives dream up?"

"I don't know but I think we should have some firewhiskey handy in either case." Tony wasn't exactly sure what firewhiskey was but he nodded just the same as they tried to remember where the nearest floo point was.

Xxxx xxxx

One way portkeys had been owled to a number of people and were scheduled to activate at four minute intervals. The first to arrive were of course Fred and George, who jumped out of the transport and immediately carried Harry away screaming down the hallway. Seeing as they were headed toward the kitchen Ginny ran after them to keep Harry from seeing his birthday cake early. She luckily had some help in the form of her dad and Tony who turned the twins around to see their sister glaring at them.

Harry and the others got back in time to welcome Neville and his grandmother, Lady Longbottom. Ginny gave a blushing Neville a hug and put his present on a nearby table.

Two of Harry's Quidditch teammates were the next to arrive. Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet agreed to 'let' Forge and Gred give them an abbreviated tour of Potter Manor. Ginny made the two girls promise not to let her brothers tour the upstairs with them. Her brothers made some rude gestures to Ginny but she just laughed them off and told them when lunch was going to start.

Neville was more than happy when the next ones to arrive by portkey were Susan Bones and her Aunt Amelia. Madame Bones greeted the hosts as if she hadn't seen them already that day and Harry was glad for her discretion. Amelia went over to talk to Lady Longbottom and they were joined by Dee Granger and Molly Weasley. Harry never noticed the sideways glances that were sent his way by the foursome.

There was a flare of flames and Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall arrived with the assistance of Fawkes. Professor Flitwick was the next to portkey in and he was welcomed by Hermione and Harry. Hermione stayed talking to their Charms professor while Harry and Ginny greeted the next group to arrive – Ron, Luna Lovegood and her father Xenophilius. Ginny greeted Luna with a hug while Harry pulled the editor of The Quibbler aside for a few minutes talk. Whatever they said to each other seemed to animate Luna's father and he came back smiling to meet the rest of the visitors.

Percy Weasley was accompanied to the party by Penelope Clearwater. Ginny wasn't sure how to exactly greet the girl that had been found petrified and naked with Percy in the Prefect's bathroom but she settled for giving her brother a hug and then helping him introduce the nervous Ravenclaw to the rest of the gatherers.

The last pair to arrive was Remus Lupin and Tonks. She had no shyness about her as she called Harry's name out loudly and proceeded to give him a hug and a big kiss on his cheek. When she threatened to be the first in line to administer a birthday spanking to the host, Harry sought shelter behind Ginny and then Remus. Both of course immediately stepped aside and Harry finally found shelter behind Madame Bones, her boss.

Harry was saved any further embarrassment when Luff walked into the main hall and told everyone that the meal was about to be served. He gratefully escorted everyone to the dining room and for once, the long table was almost filled with visitors.

Despite his protests, Harry was shepherded to the head of the table by Hermione and Ginny. Although he was a little uncomfortable having everyone looking at him during the meal, he was pleased to see the friendly faces and hear the easy comradeship of the friends and family he wanted near. Even the shy Penelope got into the flow of conversations as Ginny and the rest of the girls tried to get to know her better.

The meal was by anyone's standard truly exceptional. Even Ron Weasley reluctantly pushed his plate away saying that he only had room for maybe a small piece of dessert. George immediately stood up and asked for a moment of silence commemorating the demise of a 'legendary' appetite. Ron wasn't too full to chuck a couple of rolls at his brother but Mrs. Weasley banished them in midair.

Luff cleared the table and Harry had to close his eyes and await the arrival of the birthday cake. He was surprised when he opened his eyes to see a representation of Hogwarts Castle with a small Quidditch player on a broom flying around it. When everyone called for a speech, Harry reluctantly stood. "The first time I ever went to a real birthday party was at The Burrow for one Ginny Weasley. She told me something important before that occasion and I'll relate it to you now. It's not the presents or the cake that really makes the party but it is the opportunity to sit down with friends and family and just enjoy the passage of your life and the people that are part of it. I'm a very, very lucky person to have all of you as part of mine. Thank you and, for the twins, that speech doesn't mean you can return your presents to me."

"We got him presents?" was the question that came from further down the table. Harry wagged his finger at Fred but laughed with everyone else.

Harry had both Ginny and Hermione help him blow out the candles and he personally cut the first two pieces and carried them to Dumbledore and McGonagall. Harry had to hide a smile as he saw Luna and Ron sharing a piece of cake and feeding each other a forkful at a time.

A short time later, Harry had to close his eyes again and he was a little surprised to see the mound of presents that everyone had brought for him. Dumbledore and McGonagall wrapped up a few rare books from their library and Harry looked astonished to see that a letter from his cousin Dudley had somehow made its way from Canada to be included with their present.

The twins gave Harry a bunch of candies and Harry sweetly offered to share them and make sure that they were just sweets. Both Forge and Gred stated they were harmless but everyone did notice that they didn't actually want to touch the box of candies themselves. Ron and Luna contributed a bestiary book that described an alternate view of constellations and astronomy. The obligatory chocolate frogs were taped to the cover of the book. Harry thought it might make a good reference for some of the creatures that only Luna knew about.

A long present that Neville brought revealed three bundles of bound slats wrapped with leather. It was Remus that identified the present as a set of kendo sticks. "Master Fenwick sends his regards Harry and said we should get ready for the next round of lessons when we get back to school. Take it easy on everyone until you get the right protective gear on. Your Quidditch gear is only about half as padded as what you need."

Harry nodded and thanked Neville for the gifts. He casually threw a stick each to Hermione and Ginny and watched as they caught them out of the air and quickly tested their balance.

A small envelope that was addressed to the Potter family was the next present opened. Harry and the girls saw that a diagram of their new suite of rooms at Hogwarts was signed by Vika, Myrtle and Joshua – the ghost they had found with Slytherin's Crypt. Harry folded it up and put it into a pocket to examine later with the letter from Dudley.

Harry opened a big gift box from Arthur and Molly to find something that only Arthur could have discovered from his job at the Ministry. A record player that could be either cranked with a handle or charmed to play would be a welcome addition to Harry's study or their new lodgings at school. Dee and Tony must have found out what Molly and Arthur were giving Harry because they had wrapped up a number of records and a gift certificate to a muggle music store for Harry.

Harry received a framed portrait of the whole Weasley family from Percy and Penelope as well as a promise to take him and his ladies out to a thank you supper at the Three Broomsticks the first Hogwarts weekend. Remus and Tonks gave Harry some gifts certificates to Madame Malkin's but made him promise he wouldn't use them to buy lingerie. A blushing Harry just handed the gift certificates to Ginny and Hermione and said he wasn't responsible for what happen to them next.

Noticing a peculiar absence of names from the gift pile, Molly asked Ginny and Hermione what they had gotten Harry. Ginny pulled Harry's chair a little away from the table and made him sit down. Hermione turned to look down the table at the rest of their guests but winked at Harry before she answered her mother-in-law.

"Harry always ends up singing for everyone including us. We thought that for a change on his birthday the two of us would sing a song to him for a change. The few of you out there that know what Motown is are welcome to join us but for once we're going to let everyone know exactly what we think of Harry Potter."

Harry had a smile on his face. Normally the girls, especially Hermione, were a little shy about performing in public. That they wanted to do this in front of everyone here was a real gift to him. Harry felt a little bond magic being called up and felt the music swell up in response to someone else's call for a change. Both Ginny and Hermione gave their full attention to him as they started singing. Harry recognized the song at once and didn't think he could smile any broader.

_Nothing you could say can tear me away from my guy  
Nothing you could do 'cause we're stuck like glue to my guy  
We're sticking to my guy, like a stamp to a letter  
Like birds of a feather, we stick together  
We're telling you from the start, we can't be torn apart from my guy_

_Nothing you could do, could make me be untrue to my guy_  
_Nothing you could buy could make me tell a lie to my guy_  
_We gave my guy, our word of honor, to be faithful, and we're gonna_  
_You'd better be believing, we won't be deceiving my guy_

_As a matter of opinion, we think he's tops_  
_Our opinion is he's the cream of the crop_  
_As a matter of taste to be exact_  
_He's our ideal, as a matter of fact_

_No muscle bound man could take my hand from my guy_  
_No handsome face could ever take the place of my guy_  
_He may not be a movie star but when it comes to being happy, we are_  
_There's not a man today who can take me away from my guy_

_No muscle bound man could take my hand from my guy_  
_No handsome face could ever take the place of my guy_  
_He may not be a movie star but when it comes to being happy, we are_  
_There's not a man today who could take me away from my guy_  
_There's not a man today who could take me away from my guy_  
_There's not a man today who could take me away from my guy._ (Mary Wells, 1964)

Harry jumped to his feet applauding as the girls finished. He swept them both up in a massive hug as the rest of the guests clapped their hands for the performance.

Hermione broke away from Harry first and cleared her throat. "We have this wonderful room a couple of walls away that would be perfect to hear or dance to some of these records or to the WWN. If no one objects we'll have some refreshments and have the party moves sideways."

Ginny reached for Harry and Hermione's hands. "We do have one announcement to make and some of you already know what it is. The rest of the world will get the details in The Quibbler tomorrow but we wanted to tell our friends first. We…"

Harry held up his hand. "Sorry to interrupt you Gin but I have something to say first." Pulling the two girls around so that everyone could see what he was doing, Harry reached into his shirt pocket for what he had hidden there earlier. He went down to one knee to the gasps of almost everyone there.

Harry's voice carried quite well in the silence of the dining room. "I know I promised you we could go select what you wanted in Diagon Alley but I found these in that little family vault at Gringotts. I would consider it an honor if you would wear these until you decide if you might want something different."

Harry held out two rings and watched his favorite faces. Ginny was wide eyed but nodded and Harry slipped a ring on her left hand. Ginny saw a ring set with a big oval ruby in the center with three emeralds set along the band on each side. Ginny bent down and kissed Harry and then turned to look at Hermione.

Hermione was totally in shock at the sight of Harry on bended knee before her. Ginny gently prodded her and Hermione could only find a squeak to answer 'Yes' to Harry's question. Harry kissed her hand before slipping the other ring on her finger. Hermione was astonished to see a good sized triangle diamond on the ring with three small dark blue sapphires mounted underneath it. "It's absolutely perfect Harry." Hermione knelt down to hug Harry with Ginny not a half second behind in hugging them both.

All three forgot about the audience they had until a bunch of whooping and applauses interrupted their private moment. The three climbed to their feet as Dee and Molly came up to see the new jewelry their daughters had.

"Does this mean you three are formally engaged now?"

"No, actually Lady Longbottom the news that we had for everyone is that we are… married."

Then a party of another kind started up at Potter Manor.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19 – Harry's Birthday part 2

Ginny and Hermione were almost immediately swarmed by every female in the room with the exception of Professor McGonagall. Even the ever placid Luna came running up to see the rings that Harry had given the girls; of course she was making sure that the rings had by not been covered by 'melancholy zinnerites'. Harry assumed it was just something like a larvae infection that made other girls sad or jealous about seeing someone else's new jewelry. Harry caught himself and chuckled. 'I'm not even asking now; Luna you're a treasure.'

Harry had moved out of the way to avoid the rush at the head of the table. The Weasleys had known about the marriage because of their previous visit to the Manor but there still were some reactions from Ginny's brothers. Fred and George were the first to come up and solemnly shook his hand and welcomed him into the family. When Harry impulsively pulled them into a hug, he whispered that he still needed their inventive help and that he had a little something for them later.

Percy slowly came up and asked for a total explanation of what had happened to cause this strange marriage. Knowing he couldn't put it off forever, Harry 'told' Hermione and Ginny that he and 'the guys' would be in the library for a while. They could tell an abbreviated story to the ladies while he was telling the 'official' story for Luna's dad.

Harry went over and asked Dumbledore to help him explain the whole story to everyone. Harry made a small announcement to the room and said that he would be taking the gentlemen to the library to explain things for Luna's father. Ginny and Hermione waved as Harry led them out of the dining room.

Neville had come up to congratulate Harry while they walked and he did seem sincere but joked that he was setting a dangerous precedent for the other blokes in their class. Harry smiled and said that he hoped everybody else would go through their own 'normal' romances and get married the regular way. Neville said he would help Harry, Ginny and Hermione in whatever way he could.

"Thanks Neville, I appreciate the offer. Just keep helping me the way you have and that will be plenty."

Harry led the way into the library and everyone found chairs to settle in. Harry saw that Luna's dad, Xenophilius, had pulled out a notebook and a quill from somewhere to start taking notes. He looked over at Dumbledore and Ginny's dad who both gave him encouraging looks. Harry took a deep breath and began his explanation.

"Some of you know part of my story and some of your know a whole lot more. But I'm not sure everyone knows the whole story but I'll try to stick to the facts that led me to this house and the unusual circumstance of finding myself married to two of the smartest and gorgeous witches I know. There's some facts and parts that will remain private however and I hope Mr. Lovegood that you tell your readers that we deserve some privacy about certain things."

"I was totally ignorant of the magical community and what 'Harry Potter' seemed to mean to everyone until I received my letter to Hogwarts two years ago. Do to some fortunate circumstances I ended up becoming a guest of the Weasley family for a while before Ron, Ginny and I started school. Ginny and Ron quickly became close friends with me and we had a lot of good times at the Burrow. A bit of accidental magic on my part initiated an 'unusual' connection between Ginny and I over those few weeks. We formed the beginning of a soul bond- something very rare in the magical community. It was a very unstable and unreliable connection that fluctuated in depth and sometimes totally disappeared."

"While I was getting my wand in Ollivander's in preparation for attending Hogwarts, an attempt was made on the life of Ginny Weasley and a muggle born girl neither of us had met previously – Hermione Granger. I managed to somehow save both their lives from that attempt and I was surprised to find out that they both owed me a life debt because of that action. That life debt both involved and complicated the bond magic that had existed between me and Ginny and led to a three way magical connection that grew to include Hermione."

"Harry, could you explain a little bit more about this bond magic and connection between you and the two ladies?"

Harry turned to look at Dumbledore as he considered how to answer Xeno's question. There was a bit of a privacy issue involved and Harry didn't want to get too deeply into the details. Dumbledore stepped in and answered the editor of The Quibbler. "A soul bond is a type of magical connection that usually combines or augments the mental, emotional and magical connection and power between two people. It is a rare type of a magical force that joins two people together; the strength and depth of this relationship as well as its durability does not seem to follow any follow any set pattern or reasoning. For a long time the connection between the three young people involved here seemed very nebulous and could have disappeared at any time. As most people know, magic itself sometimes acts in unexplained and random ways. What happened over their first year of school was a little solidifying of the bond between Harry and the two girls."

"Thank you headmaster." Dumbledore settled back in his chair and Harry looked around at the men and boys that were listening to the story. So far nobody had raised any difficult questions so he continued.

"To get to the matter of the marriage we have to go back to the troubles at Hogwarts from last year. There was an unknown monster stalking the halls and it had petrified a number of the Hogwarts students. What the Minister of Magic didn't tell anyone was that the majority of the monster's victims were muggle born. It wasn't until Percy Weasley had been petrified that the Minister and his 'advisors' became involved. A couple of hasty and bad decisions resulted in the Headmaster being replaced and an innocent person accused and jailed without any solid evidence."

Harry grimaced and then relaxed. "Sorry everyone. I apologize for my unnecessary opinions but the actions that Minister Fudge took did nothing to solve the problem. It just seems like he has some personal vendetta and insecurities about … never mind."

"The situation that brought everything to a head was that the person controlling the monster then did something totally horrific. He kidnapped both Ginny and Hermione to both steal their powers and lead me into a trap."

"Harry" Neville asked, "I have my suspicions but could you tell all of us who was behind all the troubles at Hogwarts?"

Harry tried to keep his voice and face calm as he replied. "Voldemort. No, let's amend that - an agent of You–Know-Who. We don't want to totally panic everyone. A person who had waited for a long number of years to forward the ideals of Voldemort and Salazar Slytherin was the person behind all the attacks and the attempt on my life."

Mr. Lovegood settled back in his chair. There was something that Harry wasn't saying but the young man did say some things were private. It was a wonderful story nevertheless and he was already rewriting the whole thing in his head and trying to imagine what headline he could use.

"To get back to the story, I had some help finding out where the girls and the monster were hiding and made my way into a part of Hogwarts that hadn't been used in over fifty years. I found the dark wizard standing over the unconscious bodies of Ginny and Hermione, draining the life and magic out of them. He confronted me about how I survived the encounter with Voldemort all those Halloweens ago. When I told him I really wasn't sure, he ordered the monster, a large Basilisk, to attack me. Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix, played a large role in helping me defeat the monster along with some tricks created by Ginny's brothers."

Fred and George sat up straighter at that point. This was the first time they had heard that something they had made for Harry had been useful in the fight against the Guardian of the Chamber of Secrets. Something that they had made helped saved their sister. They gave each other high fives and settled back to hear the rest of Harry's story

"I luckily managed to find a weakness in the Basilisks defenses and killed it. I was unfortunately bitten and poisoned in the battle however. I came very close to dying but it was Fawkes magical tears that kept me alive. The dark wizard, the follower of Salazar Slytherin, took advantage of my weakness and tried to kill me then."

"The defeat of the Basilisk and my attacks on him distracted the wizard and woke Ginny and Hermione up from their forced slumber. The two of them worked on defending me until the three of us together could take on and defeat that wizard with the help of that bond magic again. We had created another round of owed life debts between us and somehow that unleashed the full force of the magic within and between the three of us and we were surrounded and overcome by a storm of magical force."

"That impossible overload of magic completed whatever binding we had between the three of us and it took us about a week to be able to physically or mentally separate ourselves into individuals again. We received a notification from the Ministry of Magic that we were considered to have been married in that merging. I'll give you a copy of my announcement if you'd like to print it."

"Thank you Lord Potter. The invitation Luna and I received indicated that you were indeed the head of your house now. Any comments on that particular part of your experience?"

"I would have received the title when I was fifteen anyway since I am the sole heir left in the Potter line. The marriage granted me that status of an adult or vice versa. I'm counting on some of my friends to help me learn all the new duties and responsibilities I have now. I'm not particularly pleased at the manner in which I inherited the title early because it has tied up the lives of two of my best friends with me. I'm not saying that I don't enjoy the relationship we three have now but I always considered it normal for one to choose their mates."

Xenophilius Lovegood looked around at the other men in the room. "At the risk of earning the wrath of the fathers and brothers that are here in the room with me, how is married life?"

"I'm living with two of my best friends who happen to be females. We are all three extremely young and are trying to establish the new boundaries of this unusual arrangement. We are not shagging but the hugs I receive every day is truly wonderful. Both my wives have separate bedrooms here in the manor and the Headmaster says that practice will continue when we return to school. Any romantic part of our relationship follows the guidelines of the girls' parents so you may assure your readers that nothing inappropriate is going on. That being said we would like to enjoy the privacy of our new life together as we return to Hogwarts for classes in the fall."

"That was very well said. I'll try to stress that despite your unusual circumstances you are treating the ladies with the respect they deserve and would like to have the consideration of a decent private life. Headmaster Dumbledore, do you have any words to add to the fascinating story Harry has been telling us?"

Dumbledore straightened up in his chair and looked at the family and friends that Harry had invited to his birthday party. "Whatever extraordinary bit of circumstances or magic that allowed Harry Potter to survive a killing curse when he was an infant seems to have followed him through life so far. It is a testament to his character and strength that he has weathered the storm of troubles that has followed him and managed to survive. This marriage is very unusual in the fact that it was magic itself that performed the ceremony and I hope that the new Potter family will have a long and happy life together."

Xenophilius Lovegood wrote down the quote and stood. "Thank you for the story Lord Potter. If you'll excuse me from the rest of the proceedings, I have a special edition to get out."

Harry stood also and went up to hand a copy of the announcement that they had received from the Ministry to Luna's father. "Please, for friends and family my name is Harry and I certainly count Luna in my circle of good friends. You also if you don't mind; you are doing me a favor here by telling my side of the story."

"Thank you again then Harry." Mr. Lovegood turned back to survey the rest of Harry's company. "Ronald?"

"Yes Mr. Lovegood?"

"I trust you'll have Luna back by her curfew tonight."

"Of course sir."

"Good. And let's keep the goodbyes to less than 20 minutes tonight, shall we?"

Ron's red faced reply was covered up by the laughter and pokes by his brothers. Mr. Lovegood left the library and most of the rest of the male guests headed back to the ballroom and their companions. Soon only Harry and the twins were left in the library. Harry dug into his pocket and dug out a small but jingling pouch that he threw in the general direction of Forge. The other twin caught it however and opened it up to peer inside. "What's this then?"

"50 galleons. I couldn't have rescued your sister and Hermione without those exploding pepper packets."

Gred threw the money pouch bag back at his host. "We won't take any money for helping save Ginny. Keep it."

Harry returned the toss as fast as he caught it. "Consider it research funds then. You kind of know what I'm looking for so there's money for supplies or ingredients. I also have a few formulas that my mother left in a notebook that you might be interested in."

The twins stood up and Fred stuffed the pouch in his pocket. "You do realize this doesn't exempt you from any future pranks at school."

"As long as you two realize that if you accidentally catch Ginny or Hermione in something you aim at me, I'm not going to protect you."

"Fair enough then." Both twins clapped Harry on the shoulder and the three left the library. Fred had only taken about five steps when he made a surprise stop and suddenly clutched the pocket he had put the money pouch in. He reached in slowly and pulled out a handful of melted caramel. He held up his hand and approached Harry intending to give the sticky candy back to his new brother-in-law; preferably over his face and hair.

Harry pulled his wand out and cleaned up Fred. And then threw another money pouch at him. "You should have accepted it the first time."

"So it's going to be like that?"

Harry grinned and then chuckled. "I guess so." Then the twins and Harry both fell over each other laughing and were still grinning when they entered the ballroom.

"That's trouble if I ever saw it – all three of them enjoying themselves." Ginny had her hands on her hips but Harry could tell there was a twinkle in her eyes. "We've been waiting on you to start."

"I apologize to everyone for being a rude host. Why couldn't everyone start the music without me?"

Hermione came over to hug Harry. "All the adults including our parents are insisting that the first dance properly belongs to the newlyweds. So it's a choice of Ginny or me to dance with the Lord of the Manor. Husbands choice for a change."

Harry frowned and looked at both Ginny and Hermione who were staring at him. Harry was very conscious that everyone in the room was looking to see which girl he asked. Dee cleared her throat and started the record player. A slow waltz number started and Harry took one step forward. He bowed to Ginny and then bowed to Hermione.

Harry held both arms out and the girls stepped forward into them. Ginny put her right arm on Harry's left shoulder while Hermione mirrored the action on Harry's other side. Harry dropped his arms to settle on the waist on both girls and Ginny and Hermione put their free arm around the back of the girl next to her. The three Potters stepped off smartly like they had danced together for years and there were groans from a number of the onlookers. Dee told Hermione later that Minerva McGonagall had won a small amount of cash that had been wagered on whom Harry would choose for a first dance. She had been the only one to wager that Harry wouldn't chose, either refraining from dancing totally or finding a way to dance with both young ladies.

Harry and the girls twirled around the dance floor without any missteps. Occasionally Ginny or Hermione would step into Harry and rest her head on his shoulder for a step or two and then return back to their triangular positioning. As the first song ended, Harry picked up the two girls totally off the floor and turned around in a circle. Ginny and Hermione were laughing at the finish but both gave Harry a kiss on the cheek nearest to them when he put them down. Harry released his wives and walked over to the table that had a bunch of drinks and snacks on them.

Picking up a butterbeer, Harry sipped it as other couples came out to the dance floor and started dancing. Harry saw that Hermione had went over and cut in on her parents and was now starting to dance with Tony. Harry looked and saw that Ginny was presently talking with her mum and Lady Longbottom so he put his drink down. He tapped Dee Granger on the shoulder as she watched her husband and daughter dance and he carefully held up his arms. Dee laughed and began to dance with Harry and they stepped around the dance floor and watched the other couples dance.

Neville and Susan were making do with a simple box stepped as they talked to each other but Luna was trying to keep Ron's head up as he was carefully watching his own feet as Luna lead him around the dance floor. The twins were being their usually witty selves and Harry saw that both Angelina and Alicia were trying to keep their concentration on dancing as Greg and Forge told them jokes while they moved around the floor.

The only couples that weren't dancing were the Arthur and Molly Weasley and Dumbledore and McGonagall. When Harry saw that Remus was resisting the efforts of Tonks to talk him out to the dance floor, he asked Dee if she would mind helping out. She nodded and the next time they stepped by the twosome, Dee reached out and grabbed Remus' hand while Harry caught hold of Tonks and drew her back out to the dance floor.

Tonks seemed to be surprised to being led around by Harry but he just asked her to enjoy the music. Thirty seconds later there was a brief mix-up of arms and legs on one corner of the dance floor and Harry and Dee resumed their dance while an astonished Remus found himself holding Tonks close. Harry laughed and Dee joined him as they saw the looks on both of their previous danced partners' faces.

The dancing (both slow and fast) and talking lasted for about another hour before people started getting tired and began to floo toward their own homes. Harry, Ginny and Hermione began saying goodbye to their guests. Susan and Neville were the first to leave together and the Potters gave them both hugs and watched as the disappeared into the green flames. Madame Bones and Lady Longbottom followed them soon after and then the Gryffindor chasers, Angelina and Alicia left with the twins begging them to stay for another dance or two.

Ron and Luna left for the Borrow a little while later but Ron didn't seem happy that the twins said they would help him escort Luna home after supper. Arthur and Molly said that they probably ought to go keep The Burrow in one piece so they followed after saying their goodbyes to Ginny, Harry and Hermione.

A happy Penelope gave Ginny and Hermione a big hug apiece and said that she and Percy had really enjoyed the get together. Percy was trying to say thanks and be careful with my sister when Penelope grabbed him around the shoulders. Harry and Ginny were able to see the smile that came to her older brother's face and then the two flooed off to the Clearwater home together.

Tonks apologized for leaving early but she said that she needed to get up for a daybreak duty at the Ministry. Harry whispered a question to her and then a smile came to Tonks face. She turned around and said it was about time for Remus to meet her mother and went over to grab the older wizard. Harry and his wives were very happy to escort (push) Remus to the floo point and watched as he and a giggling Tonks left together.

"Are we encouraging them too much?" Ginny asked.

"Remus has spent too much time alone and Tonks does know about his condition and she doesn't care either about that or their age difference. I may let him be but I don't think she will."

Harry looked up and saw that Tony and Dee were starting to clean up after the party. Dee was putting all the records back in their right jackets and Tony was trying to put all the empty glasses and other leftovers on one table. Harry didn't say anything but went over to help him while the girls went and talked to Dee.

"You don't have to do this Tony; we have plenty of help around here." Tony turned his head to look at Harry and then went back to what he had been doing. Harry chuckled and then started stacking glasses himself.

"I know; it's hard to get out of the habit of doing the cleanup yourself. I get such dirty looks from Luff and some of the others if I do any physical work around here." Harry finally stopped when he and Tony had gathered as much of the clutter together as they could. Tony jumped when all things on the table disappeared suddenly and Harry turned around to see that Algeg was standing in the doorway. Harry nodded to the house elf that worked in the kitchen with Luff and the elf did a little bow in return. Algeg turned and disappeared and Harry turned back to see that all the tables that had been brought into the ball room had likewise vanished.

"Are you going with the ladies tomorrow to go shopping or can I interest you in a couple of hours of football reruns or movies at our house?"

"That's a question that I've been debating for a couple of days since the girls insisted that they needed a new wardrobe for the cruise and for Egypt. As much fun as it sounds being with four women shopping, I may take you up on your offer. It's not that I don't trust Ginny and Hermione with shopping for me but I'm sure they're going to find some things that I may not be too comfortable with wearing in public."

Tony sat down in the nearest chair and chuckled. "Do you suppose Molly will allow them to buy anything for you that is even remotely revealing or embarrassing?"

"No but Dee would in a heartbeat just to see me squirm. Okay, I'll spend the afternoon with you. I don't want to be around if the girls want me to model something like swimsuits or underwear."

"Should I ask Arthur then to join us?"

"Probably wouldn't be a bad idea if you don't mind all those questions he's liable to come up with."

"Arthur's no problem. He and I have gotten quite good about exchanging information about our respective worlds."

"Good, I guess it's a date then. What time do you want us to show up?"

"My husband's out on a date already?" Hermione, Ginny and Dee had walked over to hear Harry's last statement. Harry had to explain that he was going to spend the day with Arthur and Tony instead of shopping with them. "If that's okay with you two?"

"Of course it's okay with us Harry. That gives us a chance to surprise you with the outfits we'll get."

"Not that it's any of my business" Dee asked, "but what 'age' are Mr. and Mrs. Potter and their sister going to be in the cabin next to us? Are we babysitting some teenagers or accompanying three young adults?"

Harry's face screwed up in thought. "That's something we haven't talked about yet. We'll reach a decision tonight and tell you tomorrow. Ginny's really handy with altering clothes but we have to remember that it's a two week vacation for us. One week on the cruise with you and a week in Egypt with Ginny's family."

Tony nudged Harry. "I bet there will be two wardrobes then. Some grownup clothes and some younger duds and twice as much shopping for the two lovely wives."

Ginny giggled and came up to give Tony a hug. "You are such a big help. We might not have thought of that solution by ourselves."

Harry shook his head slowly. "Thanks from me too Tony. Would you ladies at least buy some things that could be altered both ways?"

Hermione came up and whispered something in Harry's ear and both Tony and Dee watched him turn a pretty shade of red. Dee tapped Tony on the shoulder. "I think that's our cue to head ourselves home Mr. Granger. I'm pretty sure Hermione and Ginny have some private presents for their husband."

Tony stood up and received hugs and kisses from Hermione and Ginny and a hug from Harry. Harry was being hugged by Dee when Hermione called for Llasol. The house elf popped into the dance hall and was more that glad to escort the Granger's back to their home. As those three disappeared, Harry wondered what else was going to happen on his birthday.

Xxxx xxx

The Birthday Evening

Supper was a quiet late meal eaten up on the balcony as Harry, Ginny, and Hermione talked about the day that they had and the presents Harry had received. Harry told the girls the abbreviated story that he had told Luna's father and the rest of the male visitors. Hermione said that while he had glossed over a lot of the actual facts, it sounded like he was a victim of the marriage they were all in.

Harry was horrified at what Hermione had said. "But I'm very happy to be married to the two of you. You both know that; and I didn't quite lie about the separated bedroom thing. Here, take a look at what Vika said was waiting for us when we get back to Hogwarts."

What Harry had pulled out from his pocket first was the letter from His cousin Dudley. He put that aside for a later reading and pulled out and unfolded the floor plan that he had received. The three saw that they had an entire suite of rooms that was adjacent to the Gryffindor common room.

There were six rooms in the little suite. A big living room with a separate bathroom off to one side. Three doors off that led to three separate bedrooms with the center bedroom being twice the size of the other two. A separate bathroom was attached to the master bedroom and Harry saw that the walls between the master bedroom and the two smaller sleeping quarters each contained a door.

"You really aren't suggesting that we each go to a separate bed every night are you Harry?"

"No but I know each of you are occasionally indisposed or want to spend some time on your own. This is just for appearances sake in case we have visitors. I don't think Dee will mind but your mother Ginny is a totally different kettle of fish."

"That shower and bath in 'your' loo certainly looks big enough for the three of us Jamie."

Harry leaned over to kiss Hermione on the lips and pull her closer to him. "And I hope we spend many happy times in and out of both of them Nonnie. And Ginny." He looked over at Ginny and saw that she wasn't quite in the good mood that he expected after the party with her family and friends. "Something troubling you Gin?"

"There's something I have to tell you and Nonnie and I guess now's as good a time to tell you as any. It's news but I'm not sure you're going to like it."

"Should we go inside for a while?" Harry asked. When Ginny nodded Harry stood up and held out his hands the three walked into the bedroom together. Harry sat down on the couch and Hermione went and sat on his lap. Ginny sat real close to them and laid her hand on Harry's knee. "After we made the marriage announcement, everyone wanted to see our rings. By the time you had left all the adult females had come by to look at them and to congratulate us. I saw Mum was sitting was sitting with Dee and Madame Longbottom. Madame Bones went to sit with them and then Minerva joined in the conversation. I don't know what they were saying to each other but all of a sudden I saw some sad glances looking at both me and Hermione. We all moved to the ballroom after that and I didn't give it much thought as we all got caught up in that first dance business; good catch by the way. I don't think anybody guessed that we had been doing our three way dance for a couple of weeks now. I wasn't quite ready to dance solo with Nonnie yet with my Mum here though."

"It's okay Ginny – I really understand. Maybe we can dance together later." Harry didn't see the wink that Hermione gave Ginny and she almost giggled.

"Okay. I found out what the big secret was after we danced. Mum waved me over and we sat down with Madame Longbottom and Dee. Lady Longbottom had a warning for me, us actually. There is an old statute that may or may not be still on the books. It appears that anyone can dispute and challenge our marriage and maybe even get it annulled."

"WHAT? Why?" Harry was shaking in anger and it took all of Hermione's efforts to keep him calmed down until he heard the explanation.

"It seems in olden times marriages that were done only for political gain or money could be challenged. If the marriage wasn't really … consummated after 90 days there was enough evidence to cast the validity in doubt and it could be annulled."

Harry's mouth hung open in shock and he tried to make a rational thought get to a solution to this problem. He had to.. But there was the promise to their parents…. And they were underage… And he couldn't just hurt them with… And the quarters at Hogwarts… Did Hermione or Ginny want to get out…But the pain to the girls…

Ginny saw and felt the confusion coming from Harry and went and knelt down between his feet as Hermione turned herself around and sat on his knee. "Harry, neither Nonnie nor I want to get out of this marriage or leave you alone. We love you and want to be here; you have to believe that. We need to find out if that law is still valid or not for starters."

"I guess Remus could investigate or we could ask Madame Bones" Harry murmured.

Hermione laid her hand on Harry's cheek and pulled his face around to look at her. "The ninety days aren't up until the end of August my handsome husband. If we have to consummate things or at least prove our maidenheads are no longer intact (Harry winced) there's alternatives other than inviting EM into our warm bodies."

Harry's face was set hard as he replied. "I couldn't ask you to do something like that to yourselves."

Both Ginny and Hermione leaned in to hug Harry. "You're not asking; we're volunteering. And that includes giving ourselves to you if that's what it takes to keep all of us in this marriage. Okay?"

Harry looked at the teary but serious eyes of both his wives and nodded. "I love the both of you so much."

"Good because we still have a surprise or two left for your birthday. Go take your shower and then we'll go take ours. Just try and imagine what we've thought of to give our very special boyfriend."

Harry blushed but threw off his shirt as he headed for the master bath and a nice quick shower. When the door had closed behind him, Ginny's smile slipped and she turned to hug Hermione. "That was so horrid. How could they tell me that?"

"Would you rather they didn't tell you and we went to Day 91 and somebody challenged us?"

"No but Harry's very upset about maybe breaking his promises to us and our parents."

"Are you not willing to take that step if we have to?"

"Of course I'll have sex with Harry. I'm just worried about him more than me. He doesn't want to hurt us even if it's in the name of love."

A door opened and Harry peered around the edge. "Did anybody notice that there aren't any towels in here?"

"Really Harry? How sad. Guess you'll have to do without."

"And I really don't want to get back in my dirty clothes. So…"

Both girls' heads came around and a naked Harry Potter came running out of the bedroom straight at them. Both Hermione and Ginny shrieked and started running. Harry laughingly chased them for about 30 seconds before diving into the huge bed and pulling the sheets up to his waist. When he looked up he suddenly stopped laughing as he had two wands pointed at his chest.

Ginny shook a finger at her husband before stowing her wand back in her jeans. "Remember what we said about you being outnumbered in the gender count?"

Harry nodded and slowly sunk down in the bed and covered up his head with the bedding. "Sorry, I didn't think you'd mind."

There was no answer and when Harry peeked out, he was alone in the bedroom and the door to the bathroom was firmly shut. Harry wondered if he was still going to receive the surprise the girls had planned. The girls took a long time in the bathroom and Harry was about resigned to turning over and going to sleep when the door opened again.

It was Hermione's voice that spoke out. "Nox. We're taking that dance we missed before. You might want to keep your glasses on for this Harry."

A spotlight lit up an area about six feet wide just off the end of the bed. Harry heard the record player start and some slow music filled the chamber. Ginny and Hermione walked hand in hand into the spotlight and Harry whistled at the couple. Hermione had a very nice looking skirt and blouse on though the skirt was a lot shorter than what she normally wore. Ginny had the new school uniform on with those pants that fit her behind ever so nicely. Strangely enough neither girl was sporting socks or shoes though that was the last thing Harry had on his mind as he looked at them.

Although they couldn't see him as the bed was in darkness and the girls were in the spotlight, Ginny and Hermione both curtseyed to Harry and then turned to each other and began to dance.

Hermione pulled Ginny into a close embrace and the two young ladies swayed together before they slowly started turning in a little circle in the lit area. Harry saw Hermione turn her head and kiss the hand that rested on her shoulder. Another slow turn together and Ginny reached up to bring Hermione's head down to give her a nice long kiss to the lips. Harry sat up a little straighter in the bed. He had seen the two exchange kisses before but this seemed a little more intimate; he felt a little guilty somehow.

The two continued their slow dance together and Harry saw that their hands were becoming busier. Harry saw that Ginny was busy stroking the arms and back of Hermione as they moved in their dance. When Ginny's back came around again, Harry saw that Nonnie's hands had dropped and were now moving slowly over Ginny's bum. From then on every turn the girls took in their little dance gave Harry a little surprise.

Ginny's hands lowering the zipper on the back of Nonnie's blouse… Nonnie's hands seen from the side caressing Vixens front…. Ginny raising Nonnie's blouse up to just uncover the bra strap in back and the encased mounds in front… Hermione slowly unbuttoning Vixen's blouse and pulling it loose from her pants…

During all this time the two girls were exchanging kisses and caresses and Harry didn't feel quite so bad about intruding on this moment. The dance continued on as another slow song came from the record player. Every once in a while either or both of the girls turned their heads and smiled in Harry's direction.

Ginny pulled Hermione's blouse totally over her head and dropped it to one side on the floor… Hermione spun Ginny totally away from her and managed to divest her of her top on the way out and back… Harry groaned when he saw the very skimpy bras the girls were wearing…. Ginny leaned in and brought her tongue down from Nonnie's neck and across the swell of her cleavage… The next time around Harry saw Hermione unbuttoning Vixens's skirt, lowering the zipper and pushing the pants down to the floor… Ginny's hands ran under the top of the skirt Hermione was wearing and pushed it down her legs. Hermione stepped out of her fallen skirt with a little wiggle and Harry saw Ginny's hands run across the back of Hermione's black knickers and down to cup her cheeks.

There were a few more sounds in the bedroom now besides the music coming from the record player. Groans and hums were coming from both girls as four hands explored and tantalized each other. Two sets of lips were reaching and giving little kisses to any exposed flesh they could reach on the other girl. And still the dancing continued.

Hermione managed to unhook Ginny's red bra the next time the twosome passed by the bed and dropped the undergarment on the floor. Harry was glad that the girls seemed to naturally avoid the tripping obstacles that lay in the light as they danced. Ginny unhooked the front latch of the bra Nonnie was wearing and she shrugged out of it to throw it toward the bed and Harry.

The two girls were swaying together dressed in only their knickers; red for Vixen and black for Nonnie. Harry saw that while their breasts were at slightly different heights, Ginny had stood on her tiptoes so that she and Nonnie could rub them together. Harry had no trouble seeing how big their nipples had gotten from the contact and their slow moving loving.

The two stopped moving and Hermione bent down to catch Ginny's lips with her own. They stayed in that position for what seemed a long time and then Nonnie slowly knelt down and continued kissing Ginny's body along the way. Harry saw Ginny's eyes close and then heard a sharp gasp as Nonnie tongued a nipple before moving down to plant kisses down Ginny's stomach. Harry saw Nonnie kiss the front of Vixen's knickers before she lowered them down and placed a long kiss to the place where Ginny's legs met together.

Ginny had curled herself a little over Nonnie's back and reached with two hands to stroke her back and fondle one of Nonnie's breasts. Ginny reluctantly pushed Nonnie's mouth away and helped her stand. Ginny lowered Nonnie's last remaining article of clothing and began her own trip down the brown haired girl's body. Hermione sank down after Ginny's fingers found her center and the two knelt together for a long time; kissing each other and whispering into each other's ears.

When Harry discovered that he hadn't drawn a breath for a very long time, his gasp of trying to get some oxygen into his system brought the girls out of their embrace. Both were smiling very broadly as they regained their feet but Harry could see the slight bruising on their lips from kissing each other so hard.

Harry's two wives walked slowly back to where their stunned husband was watching them. "I.. don't know what to say to that. It was … so hot!"

Nonnie laughed and draped an arm over the naked Ginny. "Mission accomplished then. You showed a lot of restraint in not moving from the bed Jamie."

"Well, I want to make up for that now" Jamie quipped. "How could you just stop like that? I wanted to tell you the bed was free so you could continue together."

Ginny slipped away from a naked Hermione and picked up Harry's hand. "I'm afraid I've been a bad girl and must be punished for my transgression sir."

"And how were you a bad girl Miss Vixen?"

"I snuck into the kitchen and grabbed a dab of frosting off your cake before the party. I've been very bad indeed."

"Well, you must be punished then I'm afraid. Do you suppose the act was so bad that you need a ….spanking?"

Ginny's eyes twinkled just a little bit at the suggestion but she shook her head. "I don't think it was quite that bad sir."

Harry smirked; he wasn't sure where Ginny was going with this but he could play along. "So what do you think would be an appropriate punishment for this crime then?"

Ginny lowered her head. "I think I should be punished by you giving me a good licking instead."

Harry looked over to see that Hermione was covering her mouth trying to keep her laughter in. "And your feelings on this. Mrs. Potter?"

"She definitely deserves to receive a good licking Harry. Maybe until she cries uncle."

"Very well, you've heard the sentence young lady. Do you think Mrs. Potter should help in applying this punishment?"

Ginny still had her head down but nodded. Hermione's cough interrupted the mock conversation that was going on. "I shall have to pass until a little later. My throat is quite dry and would interfere with my proper application of the sentence."

Harry saw the small smile Hermione had and felt he should ask the question. "Should I get you some water or a butterbeer love?"

"I was planning on getting something tasty directly from the fountain of Harry actually." Hermione's grin was very broad as was Harry's.

"If that is your choice, who am I to try and stand in your way?" Harry moved to the center of the bed as Ginny climbed up to kneel at Harry's head. Hermione climbed up from the foot to make herself comfortable at Harry's waist.

"I love you two very much. That was a fabulous present - Thank you."

"We hoped you like seeing it as much as we enjoyed giving it. Happy Birthday Harry."

"Happy birthday dear ones."

The two girls started lowering themselves to meet their objectives. Harry Potter had a wonderful climax (or two) to his birthday evening. His wives were equally pleased also.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20 – A Beginning of Preparations

It was debated for many, many years which paper had the most impact on the Magical world on Aug 1st, 1993. Discussions, arguments and even an occasional fight broke out in bars, family reunions - even baby showers and wedding receptions. Almost everyone seemed to have an opinion on whether the news from The Daily Prophet or The Quibbler was more shocking or important on that day.

The Daily Prophet's headlines grabbed everyone's attention right off the bat and caused a lot of uncertainty to the minds of grownups and the people employed by the Ministry of Magic:

_Minister Fudge and Top Advisor Arrested _

_Charges of Theft, Bribery and Corruption brought by Lord Slytherin _

_Lucius Malfoy Charged with Possession of Dark Objects _

_Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge Promises Fair and Speedy Trials _

There conversely were and still remain a number of other people that thought The Quibbler had the more astonishing story because it dealt with a person of importance that absolutely everyone knew about. The incredible story also broke the hearts of many young and older witches across the world:

_**Harry Potter: The Boy Who Wed **_

_**Ancient and Rare Magic Marries Three Hogwarts Students **_

_**Curse by Follower of You-Know-Who Results in Lordship to BWL **_

_**World's Unluckiest Basilisk Dies Beneath School**_

Harry Potter of course didn't think much of the headlines of either paper since he had been so involved with making and breaking the stories to the two newspapers. He was currently sipping a second cup of tea in the corner of the kitchen that he, Ginny and Hermione had claimed for a small table for their breakfasts downstairs. He had slipped out of bed early despite the tempting naked sprawl on the bed and had gone for a nice long run. He had returned in time to make both Ginny's and Nonnie's morning showers a lot more fun for everybody. The three had gone downstairs to eat and discuss the days' activities.

Finally putting the paper down, Harry pulled out the letter he had received from his cousin. He was a little amazed that it had arrived on his birthday but he knew it wasn't an intentional coincidence. Harry opened the letter up and started to read it to himself before a gentle kick to his shins reminded him that there were other interested parties beside him.

Harry apologized and cleared his throat.

_June 30__th__, 1993_

_Hi Harry, _

_Greetings from Canada or at least the Nova Scotia part of it. It's been a couple of weeks since we arrived here so I thought I would mail this to Mrs. Figg as she could forward to you at the Weasley's (or wherever you are)._

_Mum says to say "Hello and Thanks". Neither of us have any proof but we have some pretty strong suspicions that you or somebody you know arranged for Dads promotion and transfer. Especially when it was that Mr. Lupin of yours that conveniently showed up with the plane tickets and some new passports. He told us that the Weasley's were taking you in so we wouldn't have to worry about you anymore. (You can just imagine what Dad had to say to that!)_

_Halifax is an okay town so far except for the fact that most of the signs around here are in English __and __French. The language is a little weird too; half proper English like you and I speak but some American, French-Canadien, and other "Maritimey" (I swear that's what they told me) slang thrown in. I get by but you ought to hear Dad complain about the French signs!_

_We're living in a group of little cul-de-sacs just about 8 miles from the harbor and downtown. We have a nice three bedroom place a little bigger than our older spot on Privet Drive. Two days after we got the furniture unloaded, the Welcome Wagon closed off our circle and we had a large party with all the neighbors and their kids. There's a few kids my age around and one of the guys that been showing me the area is trying to talk me into playing lacrosse. It might be fun intentionally running over people – everyone does wear some protected gear._

_Dad's new job doesn't involve sales so he doesn't come home quite so grumpy most days. His new title is a Regional Marketing Investigator so I guess he talks to already established clients to help with deliveries and new products. He seems happier in the job so it works out well for all of us._

_The couple that lives across the way from us are a city councilman and his wife - an editor for the local paper. Dad likes to talk turkey with both of them and they seem to put up with him okay. Our next door neighbors are a little different; Mr. Tellar is a police detective and his wife works on a fishing boat part-time. They have two kids that attend a private boarding school most of the year but are home for the summer right now. Neither I nor Mum have told Dad that Mickey (15) and Julia (12) attend the 'Eastern Commonwealth School d'Artes Magique' down near Quebec City. Dad likes them both even though they're foreigners (Canadians). They've been telling me a lot more of what their world is like after I said I knew a wizard or two back in England. _

_I hope you are doing well and getting along with your two girlfriends if that can be possible. You can tell them that the last of your family is well away from inflicting any more damage to you. Although Dad had said he might take us back for a visit when he has to go back to company headquarters for a business meeting next year. He's saving a lot of money since Grunnings is picking up the tab for this rental house. Lucky arrangement that._

_Guess that's about all I have for now so I'll close up by wishing you a Happy or Belated birthday since I don't know how long this letter will take to get there. Mum and I would like to hear from you if you have the time or inclination to write. You could always drop by for breakfast if you happen to be in the neighborhood. Take care of yourself cousin._

_Dudley Dursley __724 Evergreen Terrace __Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada B3H 2A1_

"It was nice of him to write and let you know how they are doing" Hermione said. "Are you going to write him back?"

"Yes, I have to let him know that the Dursleys aren't the last of my family now and trust that Aunt Petunia won't give Uncle Vernon a heart attack by telling him I'm married at thirteen."

"And fulfilling your husbandly duties in a most agreeable fashion" Ginny said as she leaned over to kiss Harry briefly. "If you're this great in bed without resorting to using EM with us, we might never get out of our room once we get the full treatment."

Harry blushed but reached out to touch her hand. "You do realize I had a lot of inspiration and help last night. Nonnie and you did a wonderful job of 'warming' each other before I even touched either of you. That was pretty intense to just watch from my spot on the bed; would I get discouraged if I asked if you were more responsive to each other or had more orgasms than with me?"

Hermione stood up to move over to Harry's lap. "Do not get feeling all inadequate. It's not a contest for Merlin's sake Harry. We get ourselves off in one manner but it's certainly not superior to what you do to and with us."

When Ginny saw that Harry was still a little skeptical, she stood up and came over to speak lovingly in his ear. "I love Nonnie and what we can do to each other but my preference is you Harry. In case you didn't notice, we try to make sure your needs are taken for first. That's why we could stop in the middle of things last night to come join you in bed."

Harry looked to Hermione and she nodded her confirmation. "Okay but I'm still a little confused by all this. Will you try to explain the whole thing to me later?"

Both girls looked at each other and nodded. "We were going to wait until the cruise started Harry but we thought of a few helpful suggestions might help you feel better about yourself in bed. You are very good at the things you do but you hold back a little because you think we wouldn't approve or allow you to do whatever. Is it ok if we tell you what we've found out about each other's preferences?"

"Yes and I'll try not to feel so shy about telling you some of the things you've done that have or might do to make me feel better."

Ginny pressed Harry's head right into her chest and he made a slurping sound which made her laugh. After Ginny had regained her seat, she finished up her last bit of toast. "Now that we have that settled, have you two thought any more about our appearance on the cruise boat?"

Harry nodded and then looked at both of them. "I thought it would be nice if we could just be ourselves for the week without changing our appearance or trying to act like pre-teens all the time. Unless you have any objections."

"Yes" exclaimed both wives.

"Grownup clothes" said Ginny.

"Snogging our husband in public" smiled Hermione. "Harry there is a formal dinner or two on this cruise. So that means…"

"A dinner jacket or a tuxedo I suppose. Dress robes aren't going to do. Will Tony help me with that bit of shopping Hermione?"

"I'm sure you could both go out and get you fitted in an hour or two sometime this week."

"Maybe Arthur would like to go on a muggle taxi ride sometime. Amazing, I'm still fighting off the reflex to say Mr. Weasley or Mr. Granger every time I think about them. You two seemed to have gotten to the Mum and Dad phase pretty easily."

"You're almost there Jamie. So what else do we need to do before the week turns and we leave for Rome?"

"You will hold my hand for the plane ride won't you Harry?"

'_**I'll hold anything you want Vixen!'**_

Ginny blushed and swatted Harry on the arm but then giggled. Hermione hoped that they got one of those sections with three seats across so they could have each other's company (and fingers) for the trip.

Harry though for a couple of seconds more and then called out for Knop. The house elf appeared promptly and asked what he could do.

"Knop we're taking a couple of weeks off and traveling with the Grangers and then the Weasleys. Part of this vacation will be a visit to Egypt so I thought I would ask you if you knew anything about the house we have in Cairo."

Knop nodded almost immediately. "It's been a number of years since anyone's stayed there. It's moderate in size but I think there are only four bedrooms there."

"So much for putting up your family Ginny. Maybe there's a nice hotel close by."

"No that should work out ok. One bedroom for us, one for Mum and Dad, and two for the brothers to split."

"Knop could you or someone go and open up that house and prepare it for us to arrive around the 16th of August? We'll be done with the cruise by then and I'll go get that portkey from the vault at Gringotts so we can go from Rome to Cairo directly."

"I'll go myself this afternoon Lord Harry. I can create a portkey while I'm there to use if it would save you a trip to the bank."

"Thank you very much Knop. That would be an immense help. Did someone here at the manor staff that house or did my dad or grandfather just send a couple of elves to man it while it was in use?"

"It was staffed from here and I will ask around to see if anyone is more familiar than I am or would like to go there for a week."

Hermione stood and did a small curtsey to the head elf. "We appreciate the assistance Knop. Thank you!"

Knop seemed embarrassed but nodded his thanks and bowed before turning around and heading for the back of the kitchen.

Ginny grinned and then turned back to Harry. "That article in the Prophet said that the trials for Mr. Malfoy and Minister Fudge might be very soon. You don't think it will interrupt the cruise do you?"

"I hope not. Guess I'll jot a quick letter off to Madame Bones and ask her if the trial have been scheduled yet. And I'll try to find the right words to ask her about that old statute that Lady Longbottom told you about."

Hermione cleared her throat. "It might be better if I wrote that letter Harry. It might be easier for me to phrase that sort of question to Susan's aunt."

Harry gratefully nodded. "Thank you; I was hoping one of you might volunteer for that part; it's not the type of thing I would be comfortable talking about with anyone else. I could barely look at you when we discussed it last night."

"Boys!" said Hermione and Ginny together but they were smiling at Harry. He rolled his eyes and starting gathering up the dishes. "We've got another hour or two before everyone meets at your parents Hermione. Other than the letter we'll send out with Hedwig, anybody got any plans?"

Ginny stood up with the tea cups and pot in her hands. "Harry dearest, have you given any thought to the fact that you may be testifying in front of the full Wizengamot in the next week or two?"

"Yes, and I'm trying to remember you'll be there for moral support to help me get over my nerves."

Hermione leaned over to kiss Harry briefly. She then stopped with her mouth hung half open; Harry pushed her jaw up and then Hermione just smiled.

"I'll also ask Madame Bones if Lord Slytherin is expected to testify at the trials."

Harry sat down quickly and swore. "Bollocks, I never thought about that. Now I have to think of what Lord Slytherin is expected to look and act like."

"And do the exact opposite?" asked a grinning Ginny.

"Maybe. You are going to Madame Malkin's in the course of the day aren't you?"

"You want something specific by chance? Something in basic black I would guess."

"Let me think about that while Hermione gets that letter written."

"Good, that leaves me to do some measuring."

"What do you need to measure?"

"You silly. Did you forget we're getting clothes for you too while we're out shopping?"

"No." Harry glanced up as if searching for some help. "Please don't let them buy things that would make people laugh at me."

Hermione snuffed out her indignation. "No, this is going to be another honeymoon for us. Two in one year; how lucky can a pair of wives get?" She turned to whisper something in Ginny's ear and Harry didn't like the gleam that came to his shorter wife's eyes.

"What?"

"We're finally going to settle a question that we've been asking you for a while. After Hermione gets that letter written and owl posted, she's going to help me get a complete measurement of you."

"It will take two of us to hold onto the tape and make sure we know exactly how big you are Jamie." Knowing that protesting against the two of them was totally futile, Harry just smiled.

"I'll just wait for you upstairs and then you can work those 'stretching' exercises we did together last night then." Both Hermione and Ginny laughed loud at that. Luff and Knop at the back of the kitchen wondered what had amused the ladies so much.

Xxxx xxxx

For having a week to get ready for the cruise, the first couple of days passed very quickly for Harry, Ginny and Hermione. The shopping for clothes was mostly accomplished on that Sunday when everyone had their faces buried in the two papers. Harry spent the day talking with Arthur and Tony while the girls went shopping with their mothers. He was occasionally sent mental questions about some decisions his wives were making.

To make things simpler for everyone involved, the Potters started referring to their 'school' selves (the younger appearing versions) versus their 'real' selves. The real Ginny and Hermione went shopping in the muggle world for clothes that they wanted for the cruise. The sundresses, the dinner clothes and all the other things Dee thought that might be useful for a week on the ship. All four of the ladies got involved in choosing clothes for Harry that he might also bring back to Hogwarts to wear.

Hermione was about to get some flip-flops for around the pool for everyone but Ginny told her that Harry hated the sound they made. His Aunt Petunia had always worn a pair when she came downstairs to wake Harry up early to make breakfast for the Dursleys. Hermione dropped the pair she was holding as if they were on fire and went on to the next bin for some simple sandals.

Dee did a wonderful job diverting or distracting Molly from seeing _all_ the things that Hermione and Ginny bought for themselves and Harry. She 'helped' Molly do some shopping for herself, Arthur and the four boys. She made an attempt to keep Molly calm when Ginny and Hermione picked up most of the tabs throughout the day.

When they had finished with the muggle shopping, Molly led the way into Diagon Alley for some clothes and other necessities for the school Potters. Madame Malkin was the first of the shopkeepers to congratulate Ginny and Hermione about their new status as married women. Molly was almost embarrassed at the attention the three received as they picked out a selection of clothes and a few robes for themselves and Harry. Dee tried helping all three with some choices even an oddly colored robe that the girls insisted Harry wanted.

They foursome made one more stop in Diagon Alley and to Dee's surprise it wasn't Flourish & Blotts. Hermione led everyone into a small store next to Quality Quidditch Supplies – The Leathery. It was here that Harry had found the Boundless schoolbags for the three of them and Hermione hoped that would have some larger versions that they could use for luggage. The clerk was most helpful in selling 2 deluxe Boundless suitcases – one for the Potters and one for the Weasley family to share. Although the cost was way more than Ginny's mother thought was reasonable, she couldn't find any objections to speak of as Hermione and Ginny kept dumping galleons out of their bottomless money pouches to pay for the items.

By the time Hermione, Ginny and their mothers finished making their rest of their purchases in Diagon Alley it was almost time for supper. After calling Tony at home, Dee insisted on paying for supper for both families. Despite Molly's insistence that she could make something at the Grangers for everyone, Dee picked up both some take out Chinese food and a couple of pizzas to feed everyone. Despite the Weasleys unfamiliarity with the muggle food, both Arthur and Molly really enjoyed the supper as the day's shopping and the upcoming vacations were talked about. It was very late when everyone left the Granger household and Harry only had time to be a little amazed at the number of shopping bags that had come out of their new suitcase before he and the girls went to sleep.

Xxxx xxx

Monday, August 2nd, brought a reply owl from Madame Bones. The letter announced that due to the high publicity of the charges, the trials of Lucius Malfoy and Cornelius Fudge were scheduled to start the coming Thursday. The list of witnesses called included Harry and Ginny Potter, Albus Dumbledore and Lord Slytherin.

Harry was full of mixed feelings about the upcoming trials. While he was glad that that trials were probably not going to conflict with the cruise that everyone was looking forward to, he only had a couple of days to make sure his testimony was going to be acceptable. He thought that Remus and Dumbledore would be helpful in letting him know what to expect when he got to the courtroom. As Dumbledore was going to be testifying about Dark Objects for Malfoy's trial, the Wizengamot was going to be under the direction of Undersecretary Umbridge for at least part of the day.

Hermione was reading the reply to the letter she had written but stopped when she got to the last paragraph. Her tight lips and sad eyes gave Harry all the answer he needed to their 'intimate' question. Both girls immediately gave Harry a hug as they saw how worried he had become. Ginny was silent for a minute or two and then had an idea.

"Do you suppose Madame Pomfrey would know what kind of proof they are looking for or what spell they would use if anybody did challenge us?"

"That's a wonderful idea Ginny" Hermione said. "Why don't we owl her and see if she's going to be at Hogwarts this week. Harry said he wanted to see Dumbledore so maybe we can combine the visits. If she doesn't know, then I bet she knows somebody at St. Mungo's that will."

Harry smiled. "Okay, we'll send Hedwig out with two letters after he's rested a bit. One to Dumbledore and the other to Madame Pomfrey asking for appointments. I'll try not to panic about any possible challenge until we find out more about all of it. Can I look at the new clothes you bought me or is it going to be a total surprise when we unpack on the boat?"

"You can go look and try most of it on. We did save a few surprises for the boat so we'll go sort through the bags and put the surprises away for the trip."

"Am I allowed to take any of the clothes I have now?"

"Silly husband, you can bring whatever you want. There's plenty of room in the suitcase and we want you to be comfortable."

"You can lounge around naked all day if you want."

Harry landed a small smack to Ginny's bottom but she only smiled at him. "Well it is a vacation after all."

"You two head up to the bedroom and start laying out those clothes you bought me. I've a chore that I'm going to send Dobby off on and then I'll be up to put a fashion show on for you two."

"Can we help you with your wardrobe changes then?" Harry laughed and pulled Hermione into a hug. "You two are totally… what's the word I'm looking for?"

"Hopeful?" supplied Ginny

"Irrepressible?" suggested Hermione.

"How about diabolical?" Harry suggested with a laugh. He pushed the two giggling girls toward the staircase and watched them head up to their bedroom. He wasn't sure what was going to happen on the cruise but he knew they were all going to enjoy the experience.

Harry headed for the study and pulled out the copy of the list of properties that Griphook had made for him. He studied it for a number of minutes and crossed off all the commercial properties that appeared on the list and then a few of the furthest places. Harry made sure he crossed off the lines that contained Godric's Hollow and Bolingbroke Castle before he called out for Knop. The house elf popped into the study immediately but Harry held up his hand before the house elf could ask what Harry wanted.

Clearing his throat, Harry called out a little loudly for Dobby. The house elf appeared about 5 seconds later and Harry had to hold back a chuckle as he saw the getup the house elf was wearing. Dobby had started wearing one of the Potter house uniforms but he was still thought he looked distinguished with a cape and had made a bunch of little ones to wear. Today's cape color was purple with a number of little white sock outlines on it.

"Lord Harry, what can Dobby do for the bestest wizard in the world?" Harry looked over to Knop to see what his reaction was to the other elf but Knop didn't reveal anything. Harry thought they had already met but he introduced them anyway. After they had exchanged little bows, Harry got down to business.

"Dobby, I have a job for you if you want and you don't have to rush to finish it. What I have here is a list of all the properties that belong to the Potter estate. And I need someone to go check them out."

"Dobby would be happy to go do this for Lord and Lady Potters."

Harry smiled at the elf's enthusiasm but corrected him again. "It's just Harry, Hermione and Ginny. You aren't bonded to me or the House of Potter so I'm not your lord. Knop do we have anybody other than you that has been to any of these other homes or apartments?"

"I think, know that Rettus has been to a few."

"Anyone else?"

"Kaltie but she hasn't gone off the Manor grounds for a number of years."

"Could she guide Dobby around?"

"I will go ask her."

"Wait a minute and Dobby can go with you. Dobby, I need someone to check out the status of those properties and whether they are in good shape. If you find they are okay, you can go on to the next place in the list. If there are minor fixes you can do, please try to fix things up before you move on. If there is a place that needs more than simple fixes, just make a note of it and move on to the next. Is that all understood?"

"Yes Master Harry."

"You don't have to worry about those places any farther away than in the United States. I'm sure you have other things you'd like to be doing so just get to those on that list ok?"

Dobby nodded and both he and Knop made to leave but Harry called the major domo back. "Just to explain to you in case you had a question, I didn't ask Rettus to go because I wasn't sure if Llasol wanted to be without him at this time."

Knop studied the concerned face of the lord of the house and just nodded. "She and I both thank you Lord Harry. We're expecting to find out if she's with an elfling soon."

"Good." Knop made another bow and Harry simply waved as Knop turned and left. Dobby stuck his head in the doorway and waved to Harry. Harry laughed and the little house elf hurried to catch up with Knop, the purple cape flowing out behind him.

Harry shook his head and looked as his watch. He wondered how long he was going to be trying on clothes but then remembered that Ginny and Hermione had offered to help him with changing. The teenager smiled as he considered the possibilities and whistled as he hurried out of the study.

Xxxx xxxx

The three Potters had just finished breakfast the next morning and Llasol was just starting to clean off the table on the balcony when Wrotkill suddenly appeared at the side of the table. His appearance startled almost everyone but Harry had his wand drawn immediately and just barely held off on blasting the goblin.

Wrotkill stepped back from the table and bowed low. "My apologies Lord Harry, Lady Ginny and Lady Hermione. It was not my intention to startle or alarm you."

Harry stood up to acknowledge the goblin wizard. "It's alright Master Wrotkill. No harm done but could you please tell me how you found your way here? I thought Potter Manor was Unplottable and unable to be reached except by portkey."

Ginny thought the goblin looked a little embarrassed as he explained. "Potter Manor is Unplottable to human magics and sorcery. Not goblins."

Both Harry and Hermione nodded, accepting the detail. Harry spoke a little sharply at his next question. "And our location is secure because of client privileges. Right?"

Wrotkill nodded quickly and realized that he had come close to upsetting a powerful wizard and his equally powerful wives. "Of course. We have finished our work on the body of the basilisk and have converted the sale of materials into galleons. I have brought the compensation checks for the victims according to your wishes and …"

Wrotkill waved his hands and three boxes appeared on the table, Harry saw that the one on top had his name and he opened it and pulled out an article of familiarly green clothing. "The basilisk hide vests – thank you Wrotkill. There is some extra spells in these vests."

"Very good Bajek. It was a little difficult but all the vests are self-adjusting. They will conform to your person whether it is you or Lord Gryffindor that walks around with them. Additionally, Ragnorak suggested that your human wives might not like the color so all the vests can change appearance at a mental command."

Harry held the vests up and watched as it changed to black and then back. He turned it one way and then noticed an extra feature that he hadn't thought of. "There's a headpiece, a hood, attacked to the neck."

"Human heads are notoriously fragile and easily damaged. The tailors thought that an extra bit of protection was called for."

"Thank you Wrotkill. If there is a charge for the additional features I will gladly pay for them."

"Think nothing of it Lord Harry. The goblins and Gringotts have certainly made a profit from the sale of such a huge exotic creature. You have been fair and honest in your dealings with the goblin nation."

Harry bowed to the goblin sorcerer but Wrotkill pulled out two envelopes from his coat. He turned to address the Ladies Potter."I have brought the Gringotts bank drafts to both of you as you were listed as victims of the Basilisk."

Both Hermione and Ginny turned to briefly glare at their husband who shrugged casually. Both curtseyed to Wrotkill before accepting the envelopes. Hermione opened hers and glanced at the figure and then stared; Harry nudged her carefully to remind her to breath.

Ginny, seeing that reaction took a seat before opening her envelope. Her face went white and she dropped the envelope on the table top. She covered her face in her hands and Harry and Hermione were immediately at her side. She shook her head violently. _**'I can't take this; I caused all this mess!'**_

Leaving Hermione to console Ginny, Harry turned back to Wrotkill. "Thank you very much Wrotkill. The rest of the drafts will be sent out with explanations that an anonymous person has contributed the amount as compensation for the victim's troubles?"

"Exactly as you requested Lord Harry."

"Would you mind if we took the draft intended for Percival Weasley? Lady Ginny would like to present that one to her brother personally."

"Of course." Wrotkill reached into his pocket and pulled out a bunch of envelopes and held one out to Harry. Harry bowed again to the goblin and Wrotkill disappeared after bowing back.

Harry stuck Percy's envelope into his pocket and went to check on Ginny. She was just staring at the envelope that contained the bank draft for 21,476 galleons that she just couldn't take. Harry picked up her envelope and put that away in his pocket.

He knelt in front of Ginny and picked up her hands from her lap. "I understand that you might always feel guilty about what happened with Tom and the Basilisk but you have to remember you were just as much a victim as any of the others who were petrified. If you don't want to accept the money, that's fine too. Give it to your parents or donate it to charity – it's all yours either way."

Ginny was crying silently at Harry's words but then threw herself at him in a hug that Harry thought she would never let up on. Hermione slowly rubbed Ginny's back and stroked her hair in an effort to help calm her down.

It took fifteen minutes for Ginny to compose herself. "I'm sorry" she said as reached up to bring Hermione down for hug. "It just brought back a lot of guilt and memories. I just couldn't avoid thinking of Colin, Percy and all the others. If I hadn't been so stupid none of this would have happened."

"Hey, you can't talk about my wife that way." Ginny stared at Harry's protest but broke out in a shaky smile. "Neither of you have ever said one word about who really opened the Chamber and started all the trouble and I appreciate that. My brain keeps saying it was Tom but my heart and my guts just keep insisting it was me. I'm not sure I'll ever get over that."

Hermione helped both Ginny and Harry stand up. "Well, it's a good thing you have the two of us to keep saying that you are not responsible. Would a good long cuddle help out any?"

Ginny nodded and Harry surprised her by scooping her up and carrying her inside to the bed. He laid her carefully down in the middle and climbed up beside her after kicking off his trainers. Harry turned sideways and Ginny moved to fit herself into his arms. Hermione came in from the other side and moved so that she was tight against Ginny's back and holding on to her also.

"This is the best place in the whole wide world" Ginny mumbled from the middle of her spouses. Harry gently rocked her a little and felt Ginny's trembling finally quit and her breathing settled down from the almost crying place she had been in. Harry and Hermione had no reservations about holding and comforting the smaller girl until she totally relaxed and fell into a light sleep.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21 – All My Trials Lord

Harry adjusted the new robe he had just put on for about the tenth time that morning. It was a black satin affair with his house colors along the neck line and the Potter crest embroidered on the right chest. It was Llasol who had completed the altering of the robe for Harry, Hermione and Ginny that morning when they had started to get ready to floo to the Ministry of Magic. She looked at the robes the three were wearing and made a wave with her hand to put the house crest on all three robes.

Llasol had shyly told the three that there would be a new elfling in the manor in the matter of weeks. She was instantly pulled into hugs and congratulations by Ginny and Hermione who pressed her for details about the pregnancy and the upcoming arrival. Harry took a look at the slightly panicked look on the elf's face and gently pulled both of them away from Llasol. Harry added his own good wishes instead and asked if there would be a time that she or Rettus would be unable to attend them. Llasol said that there would be probably two days for herself but Rettus would not be taking a break. Harry told Llasol to take what time she needed and that they could get by without her and Rettus for a few days. Llasol thanked Lord Harry for his generosity and promptly vanished with a smile on her face.

Harry was nervous about the trials coming up. It had been decided that some of the charges against Mr. Malfoy would be tried separately from the main charges of theft, bribery and corruption that he and Minister Fudge faced. Harry was going to have to testify on the charges of possession of Dark Objects and the serious offence of pulling a wand on a member of an Ancient and Noble House. The presence of Lord Slytherin would not be needed until the afternoon when the more serious charges against the Minister of Magic were presented.

Flooing to the Ministry of Magic, the three Potters were met by Arthur Weasley who escorted them through the check-in point to get their visitor passes. Harry was a little disappointed that Auror Nervish wasn't sitting duty at that post today but he calmly relinquished his wand for measurement and registration. He was passed through and pinned the witness badge to his robes and continued on toward the elevators. Mr. Weasley said that he would be watching from the general visitor area with Hermione but that Harry and Ginny would be seated in the witness box along with Dumbledore and any other people that were going to testify.

Dumbledore was waiting at the entrance to Courtroom #10 and they were escorted to their seats in the witness box by Tonks. Harry tried getting a rise from the Auror but she refused to talk to any of them. Harry got a shock when he reached the box itself. Sitting alongside the bench they were on were Draco Malfoy and an older witch that had blond hair, blue eyes and a narrow pinched-off mouth like she had smelled something bad. Dumbledore confirmed that the person was indeed Draco's mother, Narcissa Black Malfoy. Harry gasped a little at the maiden name and wondered what relation she and Draco had to his godfather. It was a question that Harry intended to ask Remus Lupin as soon as they were finished with court today. Madame Bones was also present in the witness box to testify as to what happened when they went to Malfoy Manor.

Mrs. Malfoy stared resolutely forward as the raised courtroom filled up with the members of the Wizengamot. Every witch or wizard of the legal body wore plum colored robes and had large silver 'W' affixed to their robes. Harry was surprised to see Draco turn and acknowledge the three new witnesses in their box. For once the sneer was gone from the boys' face and he appeared very nervous about the proceedings.

Undersecretary Umbridge (a most ungorgeous women) was the last person to appear and she walked to the tall podium at the middle of the group and banged on the gavel to order the Wizengamot in to session. The wizards and witches sat down as did Dumbledore and the rest of the witnesses.

"Bring the accused forward" announced the Senior Undersecretary. A door opened somewhere on the floor of the room and two Aurors (including Nervish, Harry noted) brought Lucius Malfoy into the room with shackles on his wrists and ankles. They marched him to a special chair in the middle of the floor and transferred his restraints to the chair itself. Malfoy sat quietly facing Dolores Umbridge who announced the charges.

"Lucius Malfoy you are charged with a number of crimes against the magical community of England and particular high offences against both Lord and Lady Potter; possession of Dark Objects and an attempted attack against the head of an Ancient and Noble House and his wife. How do you plead?"

"Not guilty by reason of being under the influence of the Imperious Curse." There was a shocked silence in the courtroom at Malfoy's words.

"The first witness for the prosecution is Lord Harry Potter."

There was a buzz from the members of the Wizengamot as Harry stood and walked down the steps to the floor of the courtroom. He felt at least fifty pairs of eyes on him from the court members as well as the attention of all the other observers in the courtroom. Harry turned as he reached the floor, faced the acting High Witch and raised his wand as he had been instructed. He then repeated a wizard's oath that he would testify to the truth before High Court.

Harry started his testimony of the journal of Voldemort by revisiting the day in Diagon Alley and the encounter between the Malfoys and Harry and Ginny. Madame Umbridge reminded the members of the court and the visitors of the confidentiality of both the case itself and the testimony of all the witnesses. Harry told the story of the monster at Hogwarts and the discoveries that he and his girlfriend at the time had made about the object in question.

Other members of the court occasionally broke in with questions of their own and Harry tried answering them to the best of his knowledge. Both Ginny and Hermione were encouraging him mentally and keeping him calm. A few of the questions were particularly sarcastic and almost insulting but Harry kept to his testimony.

When Harry described the scene of the Dark Lord standing over the unconscious bodies of the two girls, there were shocked gasps from most of the members of the body. Harry was challenged as to the identity of the memory but reminded everyone that he had sworn a wizard's oath to tell the truth. Harry concluded with his telling Madame Bones about the journal and their returning to Malfoy Manor with a warrant to search for other Dark Objects. Harry also spoke of his freeing a house elf of Mr. Malfoy and having the man pull his wand on him.

There was no cross examination from Malfoy himself or any of his friends. Malfoy was only allowed to call witnesses in his defense and that only after the witnesses for the prosecution were finished testifying.

Harry returned to his seat in the witness box as Dumbledore was called next to testify as to what Dark Objects were and what they were capable of doing. Since Dumbledore had fought against You-Know-Who before, he could and did testify that the magical signature of the journal belonged to the Dark Lord himself. That set off a very nervous rumbling in the members of the court as well as the many visitors that were present. Undersecretary Umbridge had to bang on her gravel for silence and then thanked Dumbledore for his testimony.

"The next witness for the prosecution is Lady Ginevra Weasley Potter."

Harry squeezed Ginny's hand briefly and stood to let her go by him and descend the stairs. He saw the look Malfoy gave her from the prisoner chair. Harry suddenly was staring at the frank hate that Mr. Malfoy held for him as their eyes met. And then the memory came unbidden to his mind:

_Diagon Alley was burning and Deatheaters and Dementors were chasing down the people who were fleeing. There were bodies lying unmoving everywhere and Voldemort was cackling in glee as he watched the devastation that was happening according to his plans. _

_A Deatheater came and knelt before Voldemort, kissing the hem of his robe. "It is as you predicted my Lord. They are as sheep to scatter before a storm and your brilliance." "Quit groveling Lucius. Continue on with our work so that all of Magical England shall eventually bow down before me. The Ministry of Magic is helpless and unable to deal with my superiority." _

_The Deatheater bowed down again and his mask slipped, revealing the gloating face of Lucius Malfoy. Replacing his mask Malfoy stalked down the street torturing the wounded and distributing the killing curse as casually as if he was walking home from a pub. Lucius Malfoy was a willing follower of the Dark Lord and had plans of for the power and glory he would receive as the right hand man of Lord Voldemort._

Harry came to and realized that Dumbledore had been tugging on his arm for a while. He looked around the courtroom to see that everyone was staring at the images he had just thought of that were playing and replaying over the head of the accused wizard. Harry sat down suddenly to the banging of the gavel by the Undersecretary and the cries of panic in the courtroom. The vision finally stopped replaying over the head of the shocked senior Malfoy.

Madame Umbridge was calling for order as she announced that the Aurors would be checking everyone's wands during the adjournment. Lucius Malfoy was escorted from the prisoner chair and Ginny came flying back up the stairs as Harry lowered his head into his hands. "What did you do Harry?" came the question from Dumbledore.

"I did nothing Professor" Harry answered as Ginny leaned down to hug her husband.

"What was that Harry? I've never seen anything so awful." Ginny was trembling in fear and Harry held her very close. Another Auror that introduced himself as Shacklebolt approached the witness box and started performing the Prior Incantato spell on everyone's wand. There was no evidence of any spell of such magnitude coming from anyone's wand – including the two Malfoy's.

It took about a half hour before all the wands were checked and the court was reconvened. Ginny quietly confirmed to Dumbledore that Harry had not drawn any bond magic while the spectacle played. Harry thought that what they had seen might have come directly from Malfoy's memory – if that's what it really was. Dumbledore nodded cautiously at the guess.

Madame Umbridge's nasty voice voice was very cold as she ordered the prisoner brought back into the courtroom and strapped into the chair. When the Wizengamot members had settled back into their chairs, Ginny was called forward again to testify.

There were only a few questions directed at Lady Potter. The most important one was her identification of the person who possessed her and caused the problems at Hogwarts. Even Lucius Malfoy flinched when Ginny held her head up and quietly said 'Voldemort'.

After Ginny's testimony, Madame Bones testified as to their search of Malfoy Manor and the almost attack on Lord Potter. That ended the Ministry's case against Lucius Malfoy.

Malfoy senior took a long look around the room before he called his wife as a witness. Harry wondered how a wife was allowed to testify for her husband as it seemed like such a patented put-up. Narcissa Malfoy did raise her wand and swear an oath that she would tell the truth. Unfortunately for Lucius Malfoy she did; she testified that Lucius did in fact keep a number of Dark Artifacts from the time when he had been a Deatheater. Mrs. Malfoy refused to answer any more questions after she made that statement either in support or condemnation of her husband. Mr. Malfoy dismissed her and she regained her seat in the witness box next to her son.

Malfoy stared a long time at the witness box and one person in particular. He then called his son down as a witness. Harry and Ginny tightened their grip on each other's hands as Draco Malfoy stood and walked down to take his wizard's oath.

"Would you tell the court about this so called confrontation that happened in Diagon Alley last fall?" The question was intended as a means of clearing Malfoy senior from any wrongdoing.

Draco Malfoy never moved his gaze from Madam Umbridge as he replied. "I was instructed to insult Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley, who was carrying a cauldron at the time. My father told me his plan was to slip a Dark Artifact to Ginny Weasley so that she would be arrested, imprisoned and the Weasley family would be either ruined or destroyed."

The shock on Lucius Malfoy's face was mirrored by the entire Wizengamot, the spectators and the faces of Harry and Ginny Potter. Harry noticed however that Narcissa Malfoy was smiling and seemed proud of what her son had done.

"You'll pay for that you hear me? You ungrateful cur and your mother will pay!" Draco visibly flinched at his father's curses.

Madame Bones nodded and the Aurors forcibly shoved Malfoy back into the prisoner chair. Lucius Malfoy fell silent and Madame Umbridge dismissed Draco and declared that the defense was over. The Senior Undersecretary and the rest of the members of the Wizengamot filed out of the courtroom to deliberate.

'_**How about that?'**_

'_**Wow. Hermione, what's my Dad think about all this?'**_

"_**We're all stunned up here in the visitor area Ginny. You're dad murmured something about the first thing Slytherins were taught is survival. I still think it was pretty brave of Draco to stand up to his father.'**_

'_**Hey, what about your wife and husband?'**_

'_**Sorry Harry, you and Ginny we're absolutely fantastic and I'm proud of both of you. What happened with that vision? Everyone's still talking about it.'**_

'_**No idea whatsoever. It seemed like one of my flashbacks but they have never been displayed like that before. I didn't feel any magic, regular or bond coming from me – how about you two?'**_

'_**No – not from you.'**_

'_**I don't know where that came from Harry.'**_

Harry asked Dumbledore if they could get up and move around or go up and see Arthur and Hermione. He said it would be ok until the court reconvened so Harry and Ginny went over to the visitor's section. Arthur pulled Ginny into a hug while Hermione shyly put an arm around her husband's shoulders.

A small bell sounded and the door that the Wizengamot left through opened again. Harry and Ginny hurried to retake their seats in the witness box. The wizards and witches in the plum colored robes entered and took their places. Madame Umbridge was the last to reenter the courtroom and she went and stood at the podium. The Aurors unfastened Lucius Malfoy from the chair and he stood facing the Wizengamot.

"Lucius Malfoy, you have been found guilty of possessing and distributing Darks Objects. You have also found guilty of drawing a wand on the head of an Ancient and Noble House and endangering his wife. The Wizengamot sentences you to be imprisoned at Azkaban Prison for a period of 60 years. You will be held here at the Ministry pending the outcome of the other charges you face this afternoon. At the conclusion of that trial, whatever that verdict may be, you are to be immediately transferred to Azkaban to begin your sentence. This court is so adjourned."

Madame Umbridge pounded the gavel on the podium and the trial was finished. The members of the Wizengamot filed back out through the door and everyone else stood and began to talk. Harry kept a careful eye on Draco and Narcissa Malfoy as they walked away from the box and climbed the stairs to exit the courtroom. Harry and Ginny followed them at a discrete distance and were shocked to see the two meeting someone they knew outside the doorway to the courtroom.

Professor Snape was waiting for the pair and Narcissa and Draco wasted no time in going and talking to the Hogwarts professor. It seemed that there was some sort of familiarity between the three and Harry tried not to stare as he and Ginny waited for Hermione and Mr. Weasley to join them.

Harry finally had to turn his back to the unaccustomed sight of Severus Snape behaving in a reasonable and almost friendly manner to someone. He and Ginny were still waiting for the others when Harry surprisingly felt a tap on his shoulder. He and Ginny turned to find a subdued Draco Malfoy trying to find words to start a conversation. Ginny, knowing the history of the two young men around her, tried to keep the moment and her husband calm.

"Hello Draco."

The silver haired boy started at the sound of his first name. "Hello .. Lord and Lady Potter. My congratulations on your marriage and assumption of your Lordship. I…" The words trailed off as Draco floundered trying to continue. Hermione was coming up to the little group but stopped and put out a hand for Mr. Weasley to halt to. While she wanted to hear all this, she was holding her breath as the two looked at each other.

Harry broke the extended silence. "It's Harry and Ginny if you want it to be. We we're just talking about how unexpected and brave it was for your mother and you to turn in that testimony."

"It was just the truth, no matter how many threats were issued to compromise our testimony and help my father get off. It's way too late and you probably won't be believe me but I am truly sorry for all the difficulties that you had to go through because of something I helped my father do."

Ginny felt Harry's temper flaring up beside her and slipped her arm around his waist. "You have made at least partial amends with that testimony. Are you and your mother going to be safe from reprisals from your father's friends?"

Harry turned and stared down at Ginny. It had never occurred to him that the two Malfoy's might have to face Mr. Malfoy's supporters because of their actions.

"We are probably going to be spending some time with trusted friends before I head back for Hogwarts."

"You're returning to school then?"

"I spent a long time at the Durmstrang Academy unlearning things and being healed magically and hope I'm ready to resume classes with everyone else."

Hermione came up with Mr. Weasley at that time and Harry was surprised to see Draco acknowledge the witch with a sight bow of the head. "I've taken enough of your time but I wanted to add my and my mother's thanks for correcting a huge injustice. I am not at liberty to explain now but you probably just saved my mother's life and maybe mine."

Draco did a modest bow to the three of them and turned to walk away. He was surprised when Harry called out to him. He turned around and looked back to the foursome.

"Draco, I really don't understand any of this but if you really need someone to talk to when we get back to school - I'll try to listen objectively."

Incredibly Draco chuckled a bit. "I may take you up on that Potter – sorry Lord Potter. I'm sure my godfather will be terribly tired of hearing my voice by then."

Draco turned to catch up with his mother and Professor Snape as they walked away from the courtroom. Harry had two thoughts that struck him at the same time. The first was that Narcissa Malfoy had a noticeable limp that reminded Harry of how he had moved sometimes at the Dursleys. The second was almost harder to comprehend – was Professor Snape actually Draco's godfather? It would explain a lot about both persons.

Hermione was one to sum up the thought that was on all their minds. _**'There's probably one heck of a story there. I wonder if we'll ever know what it is?'**_

Xxxx xxxx

Harry had lunch with Mr. Weasley and his wives but begged off on staying for the afternoon trial. While the three were invited by Dumbledore to be his guests, Harry complained loudly enough that he had a headache and needed to go home for some much needed sleep. He shook Arthur's hand and received brief hugs from Hermione and Ginny before he left the crowded Ministry cafeteria and got in the elevator to return to the reception area.

Disregarding a number of people who called out for him, Harry used the portkey to return to Potter Manor. He took enough time to change his footwear and get rid of the robe he had worn that morning. Harry donned another robe and walked back downstairs to go to the floo point. Harry took a full minute to compose and transform himself and it was Lord Slytherin who emerged from a floo in the reception hall of the Ministry of Magic.

The sight of Lord Slytherin was one that was not easily forgotten by the few witches and wizards that were busy arriving or departing from the Ministry of Magic. Lord Slytherin was tall and extremely thin. A gauntness hung about him like a shroud – except for his head. The head and face of Lord Slytherin was overlarge in contrast to his body. An impossibly long black handlebar mustache was waxed and hung out horizontally under a nose that looked like it had sniffed many a wine glass. Beady black eyes peered out from underneath very bushy eyebrows. There was only a fringe of black hair that formed a ring around Lord Slytherins' head and two or three strands of longer hair were combed over the top of his head in a feeble effort to cover the bald top.

Other people turned to look at that wizard as he walked with a heavy limp over to the check-in and registration point. The wizard was dressed most strangely, ever for a wizard. Knee-high fluorescent green boots were worn over black trousers and Lord Slytherin wore a dark green shirt with a strange vest that was a checkerboard of silver and black. An unfastened orange robe with silver lightning bolts that flashed on and off as he moved completed Lord Slytherin's ensemble.

"Name and business?" It was a standard request that was issued from the auror on duty

A thin, watery voice that seemed both funny and scary answered the auror. "Lord Slytherin. Witness for a trial against Minister Fudge and toadies."

"Could I have your real name sir?"

"Bah. Paperwork and rules; it's no wonder I haven't been in England in almost twenty years. Very well; my name is Mitty, Walter Mitty. Is that all you need? May I pass now?"

"I'm sorry Lord Slytherin. I am required to take your wand and register it. It is not an action designed to harass you; all visitors must have their wands registered."

"Very well but I must formally register a protest." Lord Slytherin reached into a pocket of his robes and brought out a quill and a small piece of parchment; with a line slowly forming behind him the wizard slowly wrote down his complaint and stowed away the writing instrument. He then slowly balled up the correspondence and floated it before him. Lord Slytherin made a gesture with his fingers and the ball of writing vanished.

Auror Crutchings looked at the Lord before him with a little trepidation. Every one of the aurors had heard what happened to Farley Nervish with his encounters with Lord Gryffindor; this Lord appeared and sounded very erratic. Maybe even mad. But he still had a duty to perform.

"I still need to see your wand Lord Slytherin."

A hand came down slamming the table right in front of the auror and he jumped back in surprise. He refrained from pulling his wand in response because he saw that a strange wand now lay on the check-in table. Crutchings picked it up and put it on the device that measured, weighed and registered every visitor's wand.

Nothing happened for about thirty seconds and then the official device started to smoke. It broke out into flames soon after and Lord Slytherin plucked his wand out of the top while Crutchings shouted out an "Aguamenti" spell and watched as the water issued from his wand to douse the flames.

Auror Crutchings turned to glare over the steaming device and wondered briefly if he would have to pay to have it fixed or replaced. Lord Slytherin held his wand up and started giving it a critical inspection to check for damages.

He waved it in the air once and ink, parchment and quills appeared on the check-in table. "I guess you'll have to do this the old fashion way. Sorry about that. My wand is Chinese banyan, 9 inches long, with a dual core of a Roc heartstring and Yeti hair. Got that?"

Crutchings scrambled to write down the description that the funny looking wizard gave him. He passed Lord Slytherin his labeled witness badge and told him the trial was taking place in Courtroom #4 in the sub-basement. Lord Slytherin patted the auror on the head and thanked him for his assistance. Crutchings watched the lord limp off toward the elevators and wondered if Nervish would like to share a glass of firewhiskey or two with him after duty hours.

Lord Slytherin hadn't quite made it to the elevators when a small sound caught his attention. "Psst." Taking a few more steps the sound came again to the heir of a Hogwarts founder.

"Hem, hem. Over here."

Looking up Harry saw pudgy hand beckoning to him from a small doorway next to the bank of elevators. Mentally notifying Ginny and Hermione that something interesting was happening on Lord Slytherin's arrival, Harry slowly opened the door and walked into the small cloakroom.

The door closed behind him and Harry turned to find a person staring at him that he immediately detested. The person before him was short and wide and her eyes bulged out like a toad's might. She was wearing a hideously shade of pink suit jacket with black pants and pink shoes. Harry opened up his eyesight and hearing to share whatever this impromptu meeting was with his wives.

A high-pitched grating voice came from the loose face of the women. "Lord Slytherin? My name is Dolores Umbridge and I am the Senior Undersecretary here at the Ministry of Magic. I have been waiting to meet and talk with you before the whole unpleasantness of this trial started this afternoon." She held out a limp hand to shake and Lord Slytherin looked down at it for a minute.

'_**You even touch that toad and we'll have to disinfect you thoroughly before we let you back into bed Harry.'**_

'_**Shush Ginny; we should at least hear what she has to say.'**_

Umbridge withdrew her hand but stared nervously up at Lord Slytherin's face. "I would like to discuss this misunderstanding about Minister's Fudge supposed involvement with the theft from your vault Lord Slytherin."

'_**Supposed involvement? He was caught red handed.'**_

'_**Ginny, let's listen to what she wants.'**_

"You have doubts about Minister Fudge's guilt Madame Unbleached?"

"Umbridge, Lord Slytherin. I have been fortunate to work closely and under Cornelius Fudge for a number of years and can attest to his fine character and honesty."

'_**Under Minister Fudge? Oh, the images in my brain now. Make it stop Harry, make it stop!'**_

"Yet the goblins gave me the information that the money from my vault ended up in the minister's private account."

"You would take the word of those half-creatures over your fellow human witches and wizards? You believe his guilt?"

"What I believe Madame Upbandage is hardly relevant to the trial. I am only required to give my accounting of the facts as I know them and it will be the Wizengamot that will determine his guilt or innocence."

"Could I at least persuade you to drop the charges against Minister Fudge and place the blame squarely on the head of the convicted criminal Malfoy?"

'_**Awful insistent isn't she Harry?'**_

"Again, Madame that is a matter for the full council to determine. I brought my complaint and my evidence to the DMLE and charges were generated by the people in Madame Bones' office."

"My apologies; I must have misunderstood. I don't think I caught your proper name Lord Slytherin."

"That's because I didn't throw it at you Madame Turnfridge. For what it's worth to anyone it is Walter Mitty."

"Well, Walter, the Minister and I would be very grateful for any assistance you might tend in presenting the facts in a certain way once you testify. It could be very beneficial for you in the long run."

Ginny and Hermione felt Harry's disgust and loathing at the words the Senior Undersecretary uttered.

"Are you trying to bribe me Madame Wreckage? With power? I have that. With money? That's the reason there's going to be a trial. Despite my title of Lord Slytherin, I do not take kindly to under the table deals or illegal activities. Is that clearly understood? And I never gave you permission to address me so familiarly."

"Oh, Lord Slytherin you totally misunderstand me. I was just stating my opinion that a fine public servant like Cornelius Fudge should not have his reputation besmirched by the actions of one or a few misguided and criminal wizards."

Harry just couldn't stand in the same room for this brown-nosing witch any longer. "I will see you at the trial Madame Spoilage. Do not give me any reason to have to bring this probably improper meeting to the attention of the full Wizengamot."

Dolores Umbridge finally recognized that she may have committed an error in trying to influence Lord Slytherin before the trial. She made a horrible attempt at a curtsey and was quiet as Lord Slytherin left the room.

Lord Slytherin slammed the door and then turned around when he was four angry strides away. He drew a little bond magic and sealed and really locked the door he had just come through.

Lord Slytherin 'heard' the laughter and approval of Harry Potter's wives as he continued toward the elevators and Courtroom #4.

'_**Harry, really? Walter Mitty?'**_

'_**I liked that movie when I saw it over the holidays with you Hermione. You can explain it to Ginny probably better than I can.'**_

Xxxx xxxx

Lord Slytherin looked around Courtroom #4 from the witness box he had been escorted to by one Auror Tonks. Harry had thrown an arm across the young ladies shoulders and asked her if she wanted a date after the proceedings. The shock on Tonks face caused Harry to laugh and he formally apologized for "overstepping the bounds that properly belonged to one Remus Lupin". Another hearty laugh came from the thin wizard at the look of puzzlement that came from the young Auror. Tonks excused herself and hurried back up the steps to regain her post at the doorway.

The only other person in the witness box that Harry knew was Madame Bones and Harry limped his way over to introduce himself. Bowing deeply to the head auror, Lord Slytherin painfully straightened up and held out a hand. "Madame Bones, it is a pleasure to meet you. Lord Gryffindor speaks highly of your integrity and honesty."

Madame Bones stepped closer as she took the proffered hand. "Harry?"

Lord Slytherin shook his head. "Walter Mitty. I am no more Harry Potter than you are. What a strange notion. That the heir of a founding house at Hogwarts would be a young lad with a scar on his head; how ridiculous." He smiled and winked an eye at Madame Bones.

A slow smile came to Amelia Bones face. "I look forward to your testimony 'Lord Slytherin'. We have a full crowd today; including the press."

The visitor galley was standing room only and Harry saw that this courtroom was much larger than the courtroom they had been in this morning. His glance around caught the sight of Hermione and Ginny as well as a number of people who had press passes along with their visitor badges. There were a certain number of witches present who had sketch pads like Ginny used. Lord Slytherin asked the head auror about them and she smirked as she gave her reply.

"The Senior Undersecretary found she couldn't keep the press out but she could ban the use of cameras in this courtroom. So free-lance sketchers are being employed by the various newspapers to catch the relevant moments and people of the trial. I imagine your face may grace the front page of The Prophet tomorrow; whether by sketches or the cameras that are outside the courtroom waiting for the results of the trial."

"Well, it's a good thing I am so handsome still. Maybe I can catch the eye of a beautiful young lady or two."

'_**We still hear you, beloved husband.'**_

'_**Good, who did you think I was talking about?'**_

'_**Nice save, man of many hats and rings.'**_

Harry blew a mental raspberry at his wives but then turned around as a bell sounded throughout the courtroom. Lord Slytherin turned and faced the front of the room as the Wizengamot filed in again. They all took their seats and Dumbledore mounted the podium. Before he could raise the gavel to call the trial to order, there was a late arrival. A small buzz went through the courtroom as Senior Undersecretary Delores Umbridge hurried to her seat, fastening her plum colored robe over her pink jacket. It took a tremendous effort for Lord Slytherin not to laugh and point.

Dumbledore, after a long look at Umbridge, banged the gavel and called for the accused to be brought forward. Lucius Malfoy was pushed into the room, still bound in the same chair he had been fastened to that morning. "Convicted criminals are always restrained in the courtroom" Madame Bones whispered to her companion.

Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge was led into the courtroom by a single auror and had a simple pair of handcuffs adorning his wrists. He was let stand as opposed to being fastened to the prisoner chair like Malfoy. Harry did not begrudge the Minister the measure of respect this entailed but wondered what would be the scene when or if he was convicted.

Dumbledore spoke loudly to be heard. "Cornelius Fudge and Lucius Malfoy. You are charged with theft, bribery, malfeasance, breach of public trust and corruption. How do you plead?"

"Not guilty" came the shout from Fudge.

Lucius Malfoy glared at Chief Warlock Dumbledore but did not open his mouth. "A plea of Not Guilty will be entered for the other accused" Dumbledore announced.

"The first witness for the Ministry will be Lord Slytherin."

Lord Slytherin stood carefully and held on to the nearest seat backs as he loudly clumped down to the floor of the courtroom. Lord Slytherin raised his wand but did not speak as Dumbledore asked for a wizard's oath. Dumbledore waited and then prompted Lord Slytherin again.

"On my honor as Walter Mitty, I swear a binding oath that I am about to tell the truth as I know it." The phraseology caused a small whisper around the courtroom but a look from Dumbledore brought silence back to the proceedings. The wand that Lord Slytherin held did respond with the proper signs of the oath being properly cast.

"Lord Slytherin would you tell us the circumstances that led you to believe that the accused were involved in the theft of money from your vaults?"

"Ahem."

Dumbledore turned sideways to look at the source of the sound. "Madame Umbridge, you have a question?"

"Just a procedural matter if you don't mind Chief Warlock. Members of this august body, myself included, would like some verification of Lord Slytherin's identity since he is the one to start this whole process."

"Madame Umbridge, I hardly think this is the time for…"

"I'm quite prepared to answer the questions of the Senior Underflunkie if she needs to find reasons to delay the trial."

"Very well then. Madame Umbridge?"

"Could you prove to the Wizengamot that you are really Lord Slytherin?"

"I have this House ring that nobody else seems to want to wear. Or the ability. A thief in Baghdad met a most unfortunate painful death when he put it on his finger. Would you like to try Madame Undersecrecy?"

Madame Umbridge rapidly shook her head no but did press the issue a further question. "Have you no other proof then that?"

"On the contrary, I have the best of proof. The Ministry of Magic recognizes me as Lord Slytherin."

"WHAT?" The outraged response from Madame Umbridge probably might have shaken some of the pictures hanging on the wall if anyone was looking that way. Everyone was looking at the glowering red face of the Undersecretary.

Lord Slytherin unclipped his visitors badge and held it up for everyone to see. "A very nice auror issued me this official piece of identification when I checked in as a witness this afternoon. It, and therefore the Ministry, says I am Lord Slytherin. Do you need any more proof than that Senior Underseminarian Umbridge?"

The gentle but firm reasoning of Lord Slytherin knocked Madame Umbridge back in her seat with a very confused look on her face. Dumbledore, seeing that Umbridge was not going to pose any more questions, repeated his original query to the first witness.

"Thank you. I have been travelling the world for most of the last eighteen years as a result of threats placed against me by a certain Dark Wizard. He acclaimed himself the heir of Slytherin and I quickly realized that the most direct way for this so called Lord Moldywarts –sorry, did I get that name wrong? I'm just terrible at names you know. He wanted to kill me and properly assume the title of Lord Slytherin. Anyway, I felt threatened to death by this Dark Wizard and fled England to preserve my life. Found I enjoyed travelling a lot. I've licked the Blabby Stone in Iceland (right painful that), peed on the pampas grass in Brazil, and had lunch at the world's largest hairball museum in Calcutta. Traveling is so stimulating; all those foreign customs and food."

"Lord Slytherin? The thefts?"

"I'm sorry Dumbledore. I returned to England recently as I realized that I couldn't remember receiving any mail for the longest time. Come to find out, my house elf had died about ten years ago and the mail had piled up in the most horrendous manner. Instead of reading all that pile, I banished it instead. I went to Gringotts to check on my vault and the goblins there gave me the most disturbing news. Someone had been accessing and removing money from my vault with forged signatures. It had been going on ever since that Harry Poster kid vanished or vanquished that Dark Lord. I told the goblins that the practice must immediately stop but that I would like the monies in my vault magically marked and followed at the next instance of theft."

"That Lucius Malfoy showed up not one week later to make a withdrawal and a transfer of monies. I have the official statement from Gringotts that most of that stolen money was put into either his account or Minister Fudge's personal account. And it wasn't the first time either. The statement I have says that the practice had been happening on a regular basis since before Fudge was elected Minister. I refrained from letting the goblins punish the parties involved and talked them into letting me complain to the proper authorities. That's when I went and talked to Amelia Bones and she went and searched the houses of both Malfoy and Fudge. Some of that traceable money was found in both those houses."

A witch with very long polished fingernails stood to ask a question. "Did the goblins give any indication that Minister Fudge had ever made any withdrawals directly from your account using forged signatures?"

"No."

"So those deposits could have been made without the minister's knowledge?"

"Maybe yes, maybe no. I've found out that most single wizards don't pay as much attention as to what's in their accounts as the ones that are married do."

"You'll not bring my wife into this mess." Minister Fudge was forced to sit in the unoccupied chair on the floor after his outburst but did not get fastened to it.

There were no other questions for Lord Slytherin and he was dismissed. The Head Auror was called next and Madame Bones described both her investigation and the search of Malfoy's and Fudge's houses to find some of that traceable money. Those facts led to the subsequent charges and arrest of the duo.

The obvious supporters of Minister Fudge had a lot of probing questions for Madame Bones and she had to defend the evidence and her investigation. Harry thought she had done a very credible job of it but he wasn't one of the fifty member body.

Minister Fudge called a lot of character witness in his defense and seemed to sway the audience a little. Lucius Malfoy, after the morning's debacle, called no one to testify for him and the Wizengamot members adjourned to deliberate the case.

It was a long and weary wait in the witness box for Lord Slytherin and Madame Bones. They ran out of topics to discuss after about the first fifteen minutes as they anxiously waited for the Wizengamot to return their verdicts. It was a little over an hour later when the bell sounded and the body of plum covered witches and wizards returned. Harry could not read any indication on Dumbledore's face when he called for the prisoners to stand.

"After due deliberation, the Wizengamot finds Lucius Malfoy guilty on all counts of the charges and tasks his estate to repay Lord Slytherin for all stolen money. His sentence is another 40 years in Azkaban. You may take that prisoner away."

"Cornelius Fudge." Everyone in the courtroom held their breath as the fate of the leader of the Ministry of Magic was about to be made public.

"Cornelius Fudge, you have been found guilty of harboring stolen money. You are required to repay Lord Slytherin for those deposits illegally made into your account. And additional fine of 2000 galleons is also imposed and you are placed on probation for a period not to exceed five years. You have been found innocent on all other charges."

The courtroom erupted in cheers and Lord Slytherin didn't have far to look for the lead cheerleader. Senior Undersecretary Umbridge was jumping for joy and hugging the people next to her. Harry had a very nauseous moment but did turn and thank Madame Bones for all her assistance.

"It was a long shot to convict Minister Fudge Lord Slytherin. He may not like you very much from here on."

"That is a problem I will have to deal with then. Maybe Lord Gryffindor or Harry Poster could put in a good word for me with the Minister.."

Amelia Bones threw back her head and had a hearty laugh. "Perhaps you are right Lord Slytherin, perhaps you are right. I will see you before Hogwarts starts up again?"

"If the stars and schedules align Madame Bones. Thank you again."

Lord Slytherin made his way out of the courtroom and bypassed the elaborate press conference Minister Fudge was holding out in the corridor. The number of flashbulbs going off was almost blinding but all ignored the lead witness in the trial and the wives of Harry Potter who were making their way slowly toward the same elevator.

'_**Let's go home ladies. We've done what we came to do today.'**_


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22 – And Away We Go

As much as Harry liked traveling by rail and seeing the scenery, the eighteen hour trek time between London and Venice via Eurorail was a little too much to sit through for three teenagers. So they were going to fly - an experience that neither Harry nor Ginny had ever done before. Ginny was extremely nervous about entrusting her life to a muggle invention but Harry believed Hermione's statement that it was safe.

On August 8th, Harry and his wives went by floo to the Granger household. Harry carried the Boundless suitcase Hermione had just bought but Ginny and Hermione carried some older and smaller suitcases. It had come to Harry's realization that it wasn't normal for three people to have a weeks' worth of clothing in one suitcase so they were making a nominal showing of each having a piece of luggage. Hermione had charmed a false bottom to the Boundless suitcase that would satisfy any muggle inspection that they might encounter. The Grangers piled their luggage and that of their daughter and in-laws into their Range Rover for the trip to the airport.

Hermione was in the middle of explaining the concept of time zones to Ginny when Harry started giggling and then laughing uproariously in the back seat between them.

"So, what's so funny Harry?" came from Dee from the front seat.

Harry wiped away the tears from his eyes as he tried to calm down and start talking. "I was just thinking of all those Harry Potter books that are still being sold in Diagon Alley."

"And?" said Ginny.

"If I were to sit down and write my real story as a 13 year old, would anybody believe it wasn't a work of fiction? What thirteen year old has two wives?"

"Or slain a 60 foot basilisk?" said Hermione.

"58 feet 2 and a half inches, thank you very much" Harry corrected.

"Or caught a Snitch with his shirt?" contributed Tony.

"Or petted two real Griffins?" Ginny said.

"Or killed a Dark Lord stuck in his head for over a decade." Harry added.

The laughter from the other people in the car petered out suddenly and Harry tried to apologize for throwing a wet blanket over their departure. Tony looked at the three passengers through the rear view mirror and posed another question.

"Ginny are you very nervous about living like a muggle for a week? No wands, no house elves."

"It's not bad living without the house elves. We never had any at The Burrow after all. Going without the magic is a little scary since we're going to be in crowds a lot of the time. But between Hermione and Harry's help and visiting your house a number of times, I hope it won't be too bad."

"Well, if you need any advice or help, you can always come talk to me or Tony."

"Thanks Mrs. G. I hope the only advice I might need is going to remember to be Harry's little sister out in public."

(Harry had originally scoffed when it had been Ginny who had brought up the question of whether two females and one male named Potter in one room might look suspicious. Harry had thought that with the huge number of people on the boat, about 1400, that hardly anyone would pay attention to three almost adults. Hermione and Ginny had worked on the question without him and came up with a somewhat fanciful solution. Harry would be publicly 'married' to one of them during the hours of daylight when people would be around and 'married' to the other for the evening hours and night.

Harry had tried arguing against this for a number of days to no avail; the girls were more concerned about their appearance as a trio in public. While Hermione had volunteered to be the sister, Ginny pointed out that since they were going to be hanging around with Tony and Dee, it made more sense for Hermione to be the married one. Ginny could be content with the late night turns around deck and other times with Harry when Hermione wasn't around.

Harry relented on his opposition when both Ginny and Hermione had said that there were going to be plenty of opportunities for enough one on one for everyone. Dee had embarrassed all three of them be saying that they could always practice 'lifeboat drills'.)

Harry pulled his 'little sister' into a hug and gave her a quick 'noogie' with his knuckles tight across the top of her head. Ginny, of course, punched Harry hard in the stomach in retaliation.

"Children!" Both looked up at the stern tone from Dee Granger. Dee frowned at them momentarily and then smiled. "That's about perfect for a brother and sister. Try not to hurt each other too much."

"But that's part of the fun; kissing it and making it all better later." Ginny's jaw dropped and she immediately hid her head in her hands as Tony and Dee broke out laughing. "Sorry, I didn't mean to say that out loud."

Harry and Hermione hugged her and pointed out that they were leaving the expressway and approaching Gatwick Airport. Hermione asked why they weren't leaving from Heathrow and was told that there were more direct flights from the older facility.

Tony dropped his passengers off in from of the Alitalia Airlines counters and drove off to park the Land Rover in long-term parking. He returned in about 15 minutes and he and Dee helped Harry and the others check in. Everyone had to show their tickets and their passports before their luggage was taken away from them. Harry looked at the paper folder with the claim tickets for their luggage and was glad when Hermione plucked it out of his hands and stuck it in a side pocket of her backpack. (A small purchase that Mrs. Granger had made for each of the three – a small handy carry along that could contain a day's provisions or diversions. Hermione had immediately impressed her spouses with listing the variety of everyday things that might be handy to have with them on the plane or on one of the outings from the _Bella Mer_ – their cruise boat.)

They had walked and then taken the escalator up to the second floor where everyone had to present their passports and tickets again for going through the international security checkpoint. It was a short walk to get to the gate where they would wait the hour or so until the plane departed to Venice.

Hermione of course settled down and pulled out a book to read to while away the time but Harry and Ginny were both nervous and fascinated by the newness of the airport. They settled down near a window to watch the traffic outside and the other travelers that were catching or departing from the planes. Ginny was extremely nervous by the size and the noise that came from the jets – even through the double paned windows but Harry tried to calm her fears by telling her how many planes he had seen some days when he was working outside at Privet Drive.

Ginny and Harry had eventually gone back to sitting with Hermione and her parents. Tony had taken that opportunity to open up his carryon to give the three a bunch of unfamiliar looking money. He explained about the exchange rate between British pounds and Italian lira and Ginny had immediately complained that she had just barely gotten used to the English muggle money. Harry offered to carry Ginny's share of the money he had asked Tony to convert for them but she just shook her head and stuffed the Italian paper money into her money pouch.

Tony then gave all of them a piece of advice. "It's only a three hour flight between here and Venice but it would probably be better if you took care of your bathroom business before we board the plane. You don't know how little those bathrooms are on the plane and there may be a line once we're in the air." Hermione had rolled her eyes but she and Ginny stood up and made their way to the nearest Ladies. Harry watched their things while they were gone and Tony asked him if he needed any advice or help about the impending trip.

"We three have talked about it and we're going to try not to be a nuisance to you and Dee during the afternoons and evenings once we get on the boat. I'm sure there will be plenty of questions we have but this was intended to be a trip for you and your wife when it started out. We can find things to entertain ourselves."

Tony leaned over to whisper quietly to Harry. "That's all very well and good but get out of the cabin every once in a while. We would like to see the three of you and spend time with you."

Harry blushed and punched Tony lightly on the arm. He didn't know if Dee had discussed the possible challenge situation to their marriage with her husband, but he certainly wasn't going to seek sex advice from Hermione's father.

"Dad? Can't you leave Harry alone for a second? You promised you wouldn't torment him too much." Hermione knew Harry wouldn't tell her what her dad had said to him but from the way Harry was looking at the ground it had to be something very personal in nature. Harry just wasn't comfortable yet with the way her father joked around yet.

"Tony, the only people allowed to torment Harry is us." Tony nodded at Ginny's statement and roughed up Harry's hair as he went back to sit with his wife.

Ginny reached into her backpack for a brush and ran it through Harry's messy hair for a couple of strokes before she gave up and turned to her own hair. "So?"

"I was just telling him that we were going to try to leave Dee and him alone for the most part of the cruise as it's a second honeymoon of a sort for them. He implied…"

"That we'd just stay in the room and frolic?" asked Hermione with a little smile.

"Something like that" Harry finally admitted.

"He's just picking on you Harry. They will get their own time alone; I think Mom and Dad just want to get to know the two of you better before we all head back for school. It's been a little different for them this summer with my not returning home. You say you're sorry about that and you can sleep on whatever passes for a couch in our room Harry."

"Okay, I was just going to say that I hadn't thought of all that's been happening this summer from their point of view. I'm going to make a trip to the little boys' room now."

'_**Little?'**_

Harry stuck his tongue out at Ginny and listened to the two girls giggle as he walked away. He came back a few minutes later and stood in line with the other travelers when the gate attendant announced the plane would begin boarding. He, Hermione and Ginny found themselves in a row of three seats together. Hermione wanted nothing to do with sitting by the window but Ginny said she would try to look and see the ground passing by. Harry had no complaints as he got to sit between the two prettiest girls on the plane. Both Hermione and Ginny smiled when he said that but Dee asked what she had done wrong to not be listed as pretty too. Harry turned and found that Tony and Dee were sitting behind them and Harry calmly looked his mother-in-law in the eye and told her that he didn't want to get in trouble with her husband.

Dee laughed at that but kissed Harry on the top of his head. She then held out three sticks of gum and told the girls and him it was for their ears. Ginny unwrapped her stick of the unfamiliar item and whispered to Hermione that she didn't think putting the whatever-it-was in her ears would help her hearing. Hermione really tried keeping a straight face while she told Ginny that the gum was for chewing on ("and not eating") to help them adjust to the change in cabin pressure. Harry said it was something like the pressure in doing a really fast vertical climb on her broom and Ginny nodded her head in understanding.

The three were still looking around when the female flight attendant started describing the operation of the seat belts and emergency exits. Harry had a moment of panic when the woman started describing that the seat cushion could be used as a flotation device but he saw that everybody else wasn't paying much attention to the talk and he relaxed.

A very tiny tractor pushed the big jet away from the boarding gate and Harry found that he wanted and needed to hold hands with his seatmates. The start of the engines with its sounds and vibrations caused Ginny to clutch Harry's hand with both of hers. Harry started talking to Ginny to help calm her down but admitted that he was a little nervous himself. The jet seemed to make a lot of twists and turns getting to the runway but the pilot came over the intercom and told them of their progress. They finally were in line at the end of the runway and Ginny was excited to see one of the planes in front of them speed down the runway and then head up into the sky.

All three gasped at the acceleration that pushed them back into their seats and the noise of the jet as it travelled down the runway. Harry found that he was holding his breath as much as his wives were. When the plane left the ground they started breathing again. The shaking and noise that came about 20 seconds later was explained by Tony in a quiet voice as the movement of tires and landing gears that were being stowed up in the planes belly.

It was a three hour flight from London to Venice and Harry enjoyed it for the most part. Hermione had her nose buried in a book for a lot of the time but Dee and Tony had conversations with all three as they had sodas and snacks during the afternoon flight.

It was close to 3:30 in the afternoon when Harry felt the big plane begin to slow down and descend while making big and small banks. One extreme bank made both Hermione and Ginny nervous as they were looking right down the wing into the water. Hermione said she even wished she was on a broom at the point and Harry quickly put his arms around the two of them and pulled them closer into a hug.

The landing was luckily smooth and everyone peered out the windows to catch a glimpse of Marco Polo Airport and Italy. It took another ten minutes for the plane to get to the airport terminal and then everyone was up and getting off the plane. The Grangers and the Potters claimed their baggage and then went through Italian customs. It was close to 4:30 pm when they had cleared customs and taken a taxi to get to the hotel they were staying at overnight. The cruise ship departed at 5 the next afternoon and they were supposed to be there for check-in at 3 o'clock. That left them a little time in the evening and the next morning to explore a little bit of Venice and see the sights.

After everyone freshened up from the flight, the five asked the concierge of the hotel about local restaurants. They were directed to a popular restaurant about 4 blocks away that specialized in seafood. Harry and the others took a nice stroll and commented on the sights they were seeing as well as the number of boats that were shuttling people from one place to another.

The restaurant seemed to a very popular place with both the locals and a variety of tourists. The party of five only had to wait for about twenty minutes before they were seated. The waiter brought them a menu that was written in Italian, English, German and Spanish. Harry ended up eating a plateful of mussels over a bed of spaghetti while Ginny tried not to watch Dee eat the calamari entrée she ordered. Harry and Ginny stuck with water to drink but Dee, Tony, and Hermione each sipped on a glass of white wine with their meals. It was Tony that suggested cannelloni for dessert and Ginny rapidly fell in love with the stuffed pastries and tried stealing Harry's when he laid his down to talk to Hermione.

There was a brief wrangle over the check at the end of the meal but Hermione settled the discussion between Harry and her father and paid the bill before either could say anything. Harry shrugged his shoulders and Dee laughed at the surprised expression on her husband's face.

Dee and Tony decided to go for a walk after the meal and invited Harry, Ginny and Hermione to join them. Harry begged off saying the excellent meal was making him a little sleepy and he wanted to go back to the hotel and lay down. Ginny linked her arm up with Dee and wished Harry and Hermione a nice time until later. Tony had to hurry to catch up with his wife and daughter-in-law while Harry turned to look at Hermione.

"I guess this means you're stuck with me" Harry said.

Hermione picked up Harry's hand and kissed the back of it. _**'I'd rather be stuck BY you Jamie but we'll just have to muddle through until we reach a decision about that.'**_

Harry blushed but tucked his arm around his wife. "Shall we go check out the firmness of the… bed then?"

Hermione giggled, really giggled and swatted her husband on the arm. "You are so bad Mr. Potter."

Harry put a confused look on his face. "I thought that was why you loved me."

'_**That's only one of the reasons Jamie. It's only one of many.'**_

When Ginny let herself back into their room about an hour and a half later, she found a very contented Hermione sitting on the edge of the much messed up bed. "Are you okay Nonnie?"

There was a very different smile on Hermione's face as she leaned into catch Ginny up in a hug. "We need to get that recipe for that meal Harry just ate."

"Why?"

Hermione kissed Ginny lightly on the lips and held up her hand with the fingers spread wide. "Five times Gin! He made me five times."

Ginny gasped as she quickly understood what the older girl meant. "Oooh. Without getting to EM?"

Hermione nodded and sighed. "Just those talented fingers and tongue for the most part. He stuck a couple of fingers up my bum when I asked in the middle of things and that caused one by itself."

"Wow! So he finally decided to honor our pleas. That's wonderful. Where is the worn-out husband?"

"He went to grab a quick shower while I tried to find a way to stand up. And Ginny- he's not so worn out; EM was still flying high despite my best efforts. He came once but stayed up afterwards."

Ginny kicked off her trainers and started hurriedly stripping out of her clothes as she hurried toward the shower. "Well, in that case, I really need to have my front scrubbed. We will ask the name of that dish if any of us can get out of bed in the morning."

Hermione giggled as she heard Ginny cry out "Incoming…I hope" as she entered the bathroom. She smiled as she heard Harry's reply and thought she ought to go and watch. 'To make sure nobody slipped and fell' was her justification to seeing that everyone got off to a good start on their trip. 'Or was it just to see everyone get off?' she thought.

Xxxx xxxx

Harry responded to the knock on the door in the morning by opening it and seeing Tony and Dee. "There's a pretty good continental breakfast downstairs if you want to eat with us."

"Come on in. The girls are still in the bathroom getting dressed. I'm not sure how much longer that will be."

Dee gave Harry a kiss to the cheek. "I'll go hurry them up. Those two just love to talk sometimes and they lose track of time." Dee knocked on the door of the bathroom and slipped inside.

"Have a nice evening?" Harry and Tony started chuckling as they asked the same question to each other. Harry gave a slight nod at his father–in-law and Tony started first. "Dee and I had a nice romantic moonlit gondola ride after we brought Ginny back here after our walk. It was very… inspiring."

"So you got lucky too?" Harry found he just couldn't keep a straight face as he asked the question but Tony just exploded with laughter. He wagged his finger at Harry. "Too much information will get you in trouble also Harry."

"Fair enough. Don't ask, don't tell. We'll all be better for that."

The three ladies came out of the bathroom at that point and Hermione wasted no time in going over and giving her father a big hug. Ginny was second in line and the two pulled Tony out the door complaining that they really needed to get some proper food in them.

Harry turned to look at a grinning Mrs. Granger. "Was that intentional?" You could have just said you wanted to talk to me."

"Where's the fun of that? My husband gets to escort two gorgeous young ladies to breakfast and I get to have this nice handsome son-in-law walk with me for a while."

Harry made to head out of the room but Dee held up her hand and paused Harry in mid-stride. "Can I ask what happened with the girls?"

"I'm not sure what you mean Dee. They sounded okay to me."

"They are extra giggly and extra chatty this morning." Dee suddenly had an idea and it showed up as a smile on her face. She walked a little closer to whisper to Harry. "Have you been tupping my daughter and Ginny Harry?"

Harry's mouth dropped and he blushed and stammered a bit. "N…no.. we haven't.. NO, I didn't. she … we… haven't got to that decision Dee."

Dee frowned but stepped closer to hug Harry. "Sorry, I didn't mean to shock you. It's okay if you did or do – you are married. I'm sorry Harry. It's not my place to ask that."

Harry leaned back so he could try to look his mother-in-law in the eye. "Could I just say we all had a very, very enjoyable evening and leave it to that? I'm never going to be good with this topic."

"Understood. I'm sorry again. Let's go catch up with the others."

Harry pulled the door closed behind them and made sure it was locked before he held out his arm for her to take. Dee wrapped her hand around Harry's forearm and they walked down the two flights of stairs to get to the small room off the lobby. The continental breakfast was a pretty good spread with coffee, tea, juices, breads, cold cuts, cheeses and some pastries to start everyone's day off.

"We have the rooms until we need to leave for the ship this afternoon" Tony stated as he buttered a croissant. "That's one of the reasons we picked this particular place to stay; it is used to having to deal with the cruise ship traffic. What does everyone want to do?"

Ginny shrugged and said she just wanted to see what she could since everything was so different from England. Seeing no disagreements from anyone else, they decided to see what sights were within walking distance. By the time they all had finished breakfast fifteen minutes later Dee had gotten a small map from the front desk and found out where most of the major attractions were. Seeing that they were quite close to a number of different sights around the city, Tony and Hermione led the way out of the hotel.

Harry knew that they were in a city that featured water canals but he hadn't realized quite the extent of the feature. Hermione read a little bit off the guide map as they walked along and Harry learned that there 118 islands separated by 177 canals and joined by over 400 bridges. As they crossed a few bridges and canals along their way, Harry saw a variety of boats that were being used as primary means of transportation. Everything from little one man boats all the way up to huge watercraft that served as ferries and regularly schedule bus routes.

The five got turned around once early in the walk and ended up close to the restaurant that they had eaten at the night before. Both Harry and the Grangers were amused to see that Ginny and Hermione made a running diversion to check the menu that was displayed in the window. When they both pointed to something and Hermione quickly wrote down the name of a few items, Harry shrugged and kept walking. Both girls hurried to catch up with him, Hermione throwing an arm around his shoulders and Ginny latching a finger through one of his belt loops on his pants. Harry felt he should ask what was making the girls giggle so much but he decided he would probably be better off not knowing.

It was about a half hour's walk to get to one of the main tourist areas of Venice, St. Mark's Basilica and the Piazza San Marcos. There was a lot of ornate and impressive architecture that the five saw along the way and they took their time to look through the stores and occasional museums that they passed by. After touring the basilica, the plaza and the Doge's Palace, Harry was quite content to find a bench by the Grand Canal and just watch the boats and the tourists walk by. Harry said he would stay there for a while and the rest could continue exploring if they wanted. Tony and Dee made plans to come back and meet Harry so they could have lunch together when Ginny said that her legs were a little tired from climbing the bridges that they had gone over. Hermione leaned over to hug both Ginny and Harry briefly and then turned to catch up with her parents.

Harry turned to look at the redhead sitting beside him. "Babysitting me Gin? I know you love exploring."

Ginny slid a little closer to Harry on the bench. "Can't a girl sit and talk with her big brother without him getting all suspicious?"

Harry smiled and patted her hand. "Okay 'sissy'. You know I like spending as much time with you as with Nonnie. Enjoying the trip so far?"

The look Ginny gave him made Harry smile. "Of course, but you'd probably like it if we just went to the Shrieking Shack back at Hogwarts."

"I'd be happy going anywhere as long as it was with you Harry. Can I ask a personal question?"

"I guess so. What?"

"Not that Nonnie or I are complaining but what was that last night? You were truly magnificent and we were just wondering if we did something special or it was the scenery outside the bedroom window."

Harry turned sideways on the bench so he could see Ginny's face a little better. "I'm really not sure of everything but I can tell you one thing. Once we landed at the airport last evening, I felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I was just Harry again, not the Boy-Who-Lived, the Lord of Potter Manor, or Lord Gryffindor. Just plain old Harry without anyone looking over my shoulder or expecting anything out of me or being careful about what I look like or say to anyone. Does that make sense?"

Ginny nodded and spoke just loud enough for him to hear. "It makes perfect sense to me Harry. Have… have Hermione and I been part of that problem? I don't think we've been asking for much from you; if we have please tell us. You don't always let anyone know what's bugging you."

Harry was silent for a few minutes as one of the waterbuses docked in front of them and let off and took in a number of travelers. Harry waited until the area was relatively free of people who might overhear before he responded. "No, not directly. We're still facing that weird paradox of being married at thirteen. After all that 'proper' behavior was literally beat into my head by my Aunt and Uncle, I still have thoughts that I might be 'raping' you or Nonnie when we're intimate."

'_**Oh Harry, that's so wrong. Don't you know how much Hermione and I love you?'**_

'_**I know, you have both told me and shown me. I never forget that.'**_

"So what was different about last night? Was there something specific that shut your uncle's voice off?"

"All I knew is that when Hermione and I got back to the room that I wanted to give her a night she might remember for the rest of her life. The same for you when you came in later."

"Well, you certainly succeeded – with both of us. You were a lot more assertive and sure of yourself in the shower and in the bed later. I know I ended up with the same goofy grin on my face that Nonnie had when I walked in on her."

"I got a little tired of arguing with myself so I cheated a little and fed off your emotions and what I knew you liked."

"You keep doing that Jamie and even Snape is going to be wondering why all three of us are smiling so much."

Harry laughed and suddenly stood up. "Feel like doing a little shopping? I saw a couple little shops back that way that might have some appropriate gifts for the twins."

Ginny smiled and stood up. "Sounds great. Think you could handle giving me a piggyback ride if it's not too far?"

"Anything for you … sis." Harry turned around and bent over a little bit and Ginny vaulted to his back. Harry straightened up and with Ginny's legs around his middle, moved off in a funny uneven gallop toward a cluster of small shops at one corner of the Piazza. A couple of tourists stared at the laughing couple but it wasn't the strangest of sights that ever happened in the middle of Venice.

When Hermione and her parents came back to the meeting place a while later, Harry and Ginny had a couple of shopping bags at their feet and were sipping on some sparkling water bottles. They pulled out more bottles for the Grangers and Harry started telling them of their purchases. Ginny pulled out a baseball cap and put it on Hermione's head before she could read it. Seeing the smirks her parents had, she pulled it off to read what was written on it and then tried to catch a fleeing Ginny.

The black cap had a picture of a gondola with a bottle of wine in it. The phrase 'Vene,Vidi,Bibi' was written over the top and 'Venezia' underneath. "My Latin is a bit rusty Harry" said Dee who was still watching her daughter chase after Ginny. "That does translate to 'I came, I saw, I drank', doesn't it?"

"Yes" said Harry. "But that was much better than the other one we almost got for her – 'I was so drunk I was legally Venetian Blind' – wasn't it?"

Dee nodded and the two girls finally gave up the chasing to give each other a laughing hug. Tony had picked up the cap and put it on Hermione's head backwards when the girls finally returned.

"Okay, but I shan't wear it anywhere inside." Hermione turned the cap around so the bill was shading her eyes.

"Now that the girls have exhausted themselves running around, how about we find one of those little Trattorias we passed on the walk over for lunch." Everyone agreed that Tony had a nice idea and they started making their way back toward the street of restaurants they had passed.

A not so quick lunch left everyone filled but they took their time walking back to the hotel. When they arrived there was a little over an hour left until they had to checkout of the hotel and take a water taxi to the cruise port. Tony and Dee were spending a couple more days by themselves in Venice at the end of the cruise so they started gathering up tourist information to make the best of the days at the end of their vacation.

Harry, Ginny and Hermione made quick work of the little packing they had to do and just lay on the bed talking about what they had seen in Venice and what surprises the cruise boat might have.

A phone call from Tony announced it was time to go and Harry and the girls went down to the front desk to check out. The front desk had made arrangements for their transit to the ship and a water taxi was waiting for them a block away. The five boarded the little boat and watched the sights of the city as they made their way across the Venice lagoon to the cruise port.

As they rounded an island that their pilot announced as Murano, Harry saw five huge cruise ships parked along a number of huge piers. The pilot steered them toward the second ship on the right, the _Bella Mer_.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23 – Cruising pt. 1

The closer they got to the cruise ships the bigger they looked. And bigger. The one the pilot had pointed the water taxi at wasn't even the biggest ship in the harbor. Eventually Ginny couldn't stop herself from making a comment. "Our ship is as tall as the Astronomy Tower back at school."

Harry and Hermione were trying of count the number of levels of windows they saw as they got closer. The top four stories ("Decks" Tony corrected) had little balconies just wide enough for two or three people to stand on and Harry wondered which one of them might belong to him, Hermione and Ginny. Both the Grangers and the Potters had got staterooms with balconies and Harry was wondering if they were going to end up next to each other. There were good points and nervous not-so-good points about rooming next to your in-laws.

The main deck of the boat got higher and higher as they got closer and closer to the Bella Mer. "Harry" whispered Ginny, "we're not going to be walking up steps all the way to our room are we?"

Harry turned and smiled at the redhead. "I'm sure they have elevators for a ship this size. We'll take the stairs only if we want some exercise."

"Good."

The pilot maneuvered the water taxi to the end of the pier their cruise ship was docked at. After Tony paid the fare and a tip Harry grabbed their Boundless suitcase and took the stairs up to the dock. He saw there was a huge square opening in the side of the boat and he was a little surprised to see a huge delivery truck pull out from inside the ship.

Tony stepped up to Harry's side. "Add 1400 paying customers to the staff about 700 people and you have your own floating city. Can you imagine how many rolls of toilet paper that takes just for one cruise? Let alone the food, water, mechanical supplies and fuel. I can't even imagine the size of that hold."

Harry whistled in appreciation at the sheer magnitude of the undertaking a cruise ship must be. He hadn't even thought about a support staff that must be needed to cook, do laundry and all the other everyday things that were taken for granted.

Tony pulled Harry along to where the women were waving for them. There was a small queue before a small building labeled Check-in so Harry and everyone else stood in line for about twenty minutes before they entered the building. Pulling out their tickets and passports yet again, the Potters and Grangers had their luggage taken away from them to be tagged and placed on a large trolley that was pulled away by a golf cart. Harry was handed three plastic cards that Hermione explained were electronic door keys and received a small map with deck layouts and directions to their own room.

Tony and Dee had gone through the process just before they did but waited for Harry, Ginny and Hermione. They walked through a separate doorway in the side of the ship and that led to a small bank of elevators. There was enough room for twenty in the elevators and the five dropped off some other people on the lower floors before arriving at the 9th deck where their rooms were.

Harry watched as Tony and Dee found their room first. They opened their door and said they would go exploring a little later. Ginny had found the number of their room right next door but there seemed to be a thicker wall between that section of the deck and the one they were in. Harry guessed that it was a bulkhead or a supporting wall that help hold up the decks above them.

Hermione took one of the electronic keys from Harry and explained how to use it to him and Ginny. She opened the door and the Potters looked at the room that would be their home for the next week. Ginny walked in to look around and then walked out to the balcony. She paused at the doors and looked back to her spouses. "Not as much room as I expected. Guess we'll have to stay close to each other."

Harry took a good look at the room and thought it was only about three times the size of Ginny's old room back at the Burrow. A small bathroom was tucked in behind the door to the hallway and there were two double beds rather than the queen sized one Harry had seen in the Grangers room next door. A small refrigerator was built into one of the end tables and a television sat in a small nook across from the beds.

Floor to ceiling glass doors led to the balcony where a metal table and three chairs sat before the chest high rails that surrounded the space. A small corner hutch had a wide shelf that served as a writing desk and there were a couple of easy chairs that were set next to a combination chest of drawers and closet that one could hang some clothes in. It would be a little cozy with the three of them in the room but Harry didn't think it would be a problem.

"We can move one of these end tables away and push the beds together. That will give us a little more room in the bed and free up a little floor room." Hermione said. "I guess that they want to have as many cabins available as they can to carry a lot more passengers. Our suitcases can go under the bed I guess."

"I like it" Ginny said. "But I think Harry might get tired of having one or the other of us on his lap."

"Never" replied Harry as he goosed Ginny as he stepped by her on the way back in to the room from the balcony. She spun and tried to get him but two things happened together; there was a knock on the door and the telephone next to the bed started ringing. Hermione sat down and reached for the phone while Harry and Ginny opened the door.

A man in the ships uniform was pushing a cart of luggage down the corridor and waiting outside the door. "Potter family?" When Harry nodded the fellow introduced himself as Darius Messinteire, their steward for the section of the desk they were on. He brought their luggage into the room and gave them a card with his call number on it. "I'm your man of many duties and I'm basically on call during the daylight hours to assist you and about a dozen other rooms with anything you need. There's an after-hours number for the night steward listed in your Ship Guide but I'm down the hall in Room 901. If you need anything at all, just call or come and see me."

Harry thanked the man and gave him a tip for bringing their luggage so promptly. Darius returned to the cart but brought back a piece of paper that he handed to Harry. "This is your dining schedule and dress guide for the evening meals while on board. There's no dress code for breakfast and lunch but swimwear is not to be worn in either of the main dining rooms at any meal. The Paradiso Cruise Line hopes you enjoy your stay with us and please call me if there is anything you need."

Harry and Ginny both thanked the man and saw that he was probably going to be busy delivering luggage to the passengers right up till the time the ship departed.

Hermione was just hanging up the phone when Harry placed the luggage on the bed to start unpacking. "That was Mom and Dad; they wanted to unpack and lay down for about an hour before we all went exploring."

"That sounds like a nice idea. Are you going to help us unpack or would you rather read to us from that big thick book that's labeled _Ship Guide_?"

Hermione looked up with a smile. "I'll take a turn unpacking with everyone else. There's some dresses and other things that I don't want you to see quite yet."

Harry opened his small suitcase and started unpacking the clothes in it to put away. Most of his clothes were in one section of the Boundless suitcase. Ginny however came over and sat down next to Hermione. "I think I understand the dress code but what was the dining schedule that Henry mentioned?"

Hermione opened the extensive guide but didn't start reading it quite yet. "Mom told me a little about the last cruise they went on. Because they have placed so many things on this boat besides the cabins for everybody, there isn't room for a dining hall big enough to hold everybody. So half the people eat at one time and the other an hour or two later. I assume the people in this section will all eat together or it might be determined by room number."

Harry held up the paper that Darius gave him and read off it. "According to this we're in the early shift at all three meals. It also says we can eat at other places than the main dining rooms but we'll have to pay for those meals ourselves. The dress code tonight is dressy; do I dare ask what that means?"

"Slacks and a nice shirt; classy or semi-formal will add a jacket and tie. Formal will be your tux. Casual is everyday clothes."

Ginny turned and whispered in Hermione's ear and both women giggled.

"What?" Harry was immediately suspicious any time the two of them looked at him and laughed.

"Ginny wants to know if we get to play dress up with you and pick out your clothes?"

Harry came over and wedged himself in between the two sitting girls. "Yes, on one condition."

'_**Uh-oh.'**_

"And what condition would that be Mr. Potter?"

"That we allow a little extra time for me to play undress with my wives."

Both girls jumped Harry at that point and he was knocked backward on the bed laughing. They were interrupted after about thirty seconds by another knock on the door. Harry grimaced but extricated himself from his wives to answer the knock. Checking over his shoulder to make sure Hermione and Ginny were presentable, Harry tried catching his breath and pulled open the door.

He had to look down however to see their visitor. A young girl with her black hair in in a pageboy cut stood in front of the door with her fists held on her hips. "You're in our room."

"Excuse me?"

"You're in OUR room." The girl turned sideways and yelled down the corridor. "Mom. There's somebody already here!"

Hermione and Ginny joined Harry in peering down the hall where the girl was looking. What they saw was an older version of the girl walking toward them holding the hand of a boy that was about four or five.

"Lynn, I told you not to run ahead. I also said it was the sixth room on the left not the right. Apologize to these people."

"Sorry Mister." Lynn softened up on her glare.

The young mother came up to drag her daughter back a step. "I'm sorry. She ran ahead before I could catch her. My name is Kathy Simmonds and this little fellow is Jeffrey. You've already met my exuberant 7 year old Lynn. My husband Ken is down on the dock still trying to catch up with our luggage."

"Hi. My name is Harry Potter and this is Hermione and Ginny."

"Are you all brothers and sisters?" asked the girl.

"Lynn! Manners, please."

"It's okay." Ginny got down on one knee to talk to the young girl. "Harry's married to Hermione but I'm his sister."

"Then it's okay you're all in the same room then."

Harry and the others laughed but Kathy just shook her head. "I'm sorry. Again. Lynn, how about we go see our real room and not bother these people anymore."

"Okay, bye!" Lynn waved and made airplane wings to turn and go to the other side of the corridor. Kathy and Jeffrey followed her over and Kathy barely had the door open when Lynn went dashing in yelling. Kathy turned with a shrug. "At least she's confined now. Nice to meet you all."

Hermione waved to Lynn who had snuck back up behind her mother who was standing in the doorway. "You too Mrs. Simmonds. I'm sure we'll see you and Lynn around."

Harry closed the door with a chuckle. "That was nice. I wasn't expecting to see many children on this part of the trip."

Hermione went back to sit on the bed and retrieve the Ship Guide. "Some people don't like travelling with kids around but Dad says there's parents that can't stand being separated from their children so they bring them everywhere. Besides it's still summer vacation so there might be lots of families on board."

"I suppose it's a nice experience to always go along with your folks." Hermione stood up as she recognized the wistfulness in Harry's voice. She and Ginny went to hug their husband and Harry felt better for the contact.

Harry reluctantly let go of both females. "Let's get on with the unpacking then. They'll be less to do before supper and I need to remember where I put my dress shirts."

The three went back to unpacking and learning more about the Bella Mer. Taking turns reading, the Potters learned that that there were two main dining rooms but seating wasn't assigned except during formal dining. The ship also had seven other smaller restaurants which ranged in theme according to ethnicity; there were 4 bars scattered across those restaurants with 4 others establishments that just served alcohol. There were four pools of various sizes including a kiddie pool (for Lynn and her brother across the hallway) and a secluded one on Deck 9 where clothing was optional and children weren't allowed. Ginny blushed when she read that statement but Hermione cheekily said that she would be glad to show her the 'sights'.

Harry said he would protect his sister from that activity if Hermione wanted to indulge herself. Hermione poked him and said the only man on aboard she wanted to see naked was Harry. Harry took over the reading at that point and got Hermione's attention by finding out that there was a library on board. Other facilities included a gym, a game room, half a deck of specialty shops, and a movie theatre that held about 150 people and operated almost round the clock. Harry was a little intrigued by the shows that were put on every night in a couple of different places. Everything from Broadway reviews to dances. "Hermione, it says here we can go and see real live magicians every night."

Harry got hit by a couple of pillows for that revelation. They had done most of the unpacking and reading from the Ship Guide by the time Tony and Dee called to go walking. The five took a while to wander around to see some of the attractions and watched the final preparations that were made to get the big cruise ship ready to depart. Ginny was surprise at the size of little ship that was going to tow the cruise ship away from the dock but Hermione reminded of the little tractor that had moved their jet away from the boarding gate back at London. Harry gave her a big hug and whispered to her that he had found out some of life's best surprises came in the littlest packages.

'_**Is he talking about bed already?'**_

Harry smiled but tickled Hermione and she sought refuge behind her mother. "I'm surprised you haven't dragged us down to the library already" Dee said.

"I'll go visit tomorrow sometime. We've got six days and I did bring a few books with me."

"You must not have turned the television on then."

"No we were busy unpacking and meeting our neighbors across the hall. Why?"

Dee turned to her husband with a sly grin on her face. "I guess we should tell them that one of the channels on the TV is dedicated to ships' business. Tours, clubs, daily activities and other things like that. One of the announcements on this afternoon said that there would be signups this evening and until tomorrow noon for classes."

'_**Oops, here we go again.'**_ Harry sent to a smiling Ginny.

"Classes? What classes? It wasn't in the Ship Guide." Hermione's voice had risen a notch at the thought that there were opportunities to learn something.

"I didn't see the whole list pumpkin so your Mom and I thought we would go take a look after supper."

Hermione turn to her mates. "Do you mind if I go now and take a look now? I'm sure it's only going to be an hour or so a day for the trip. For the class I mean."

Harry took a look at his watch and then held up a finger. "We have time now and supper doesn't start until 5:45. We are both going to escort you Hermione. **_A_**. Because we don't want you signing up for every class that offered…"

"… and _**B.**_ Harry and I might want to do something too." Hermione had the grace to blush at both her spouses' statements but she did start tugging on their hands. "Could we hurry then? I don't want to find out that a class I might have wanted was closed out because it had already been filled."

Harry gave Hermione a kiss to the forehead while Ginny started pushing her toward the nearest elevator.

"No, it's the other way!" Tony and Dee followed after the trio chuckling at the antics of their daughter.

"So how many classes will Hermione sign up for?" Tony asked his wife.

"If she's smart she'll limit herself to two. One she really wants and one to share with Harry or Ginny."

"I bet you a quid that Harry will sign up for two. One to spend with each of the girls; just to do something special with each one."

"That's a very silly bet - no way and I going to take that. We better go help them; I'm not sure Harry or Ginny have seen our daughter forced to make a difficult choice of taking just _one_ class."

Tony kissed his wife and slipped an arm around her waist as they headed off to the ship's library.

True to form, the Grangers had found Hermione staring at all the signup sheets for the various classes when they came into the library. She just wasn't sure which class to take and she was getting fretful. Harry and Ginny finally laughingly 'relented' and said she could sign up for a one-time lesson as well as a regular class. The three had a small discussion together and then Hermione signed up for a beginning Italian language class that would meet four times during the cruise and a lecture on Greek history that would be given the night before they docked at Athens. Harry tapped Hermione on the shoulder asking for the pen and she hugged him when he signed up to join her for the beginning Italian class.

Harry prodded Ginny to take a class also and she said she didn't really want to go off and do something by herself. Harry whispered in her ear just two words and Hermione saw Ginny give him a great hug around the neck. Ginny went over to the sign-up table and wrote her name down quickly on one sheet she had glanced at earlier. Harry was right behind her in signing up for the beginning ballroom dancing class.

Hermione nodded when she was told what they had signed up for. With their cover story it was a perfect way for Harry and Ginny to hold each other close and hug in front of everyone. Hermione begrudged them nothing for the idea Ginny had.

Tony interrupted the three and pointed at his watch. The three Potters made a small "eek" and headed back to their cabin to change for dinner. Tony and Dee went to look over the signup sheets to see if there was anything they wanted to do in the way of informal education.

Xxxx xxxx

(Author's note: Something a bit objectionable and more graphic than I usually write in this section. Move along youngsters.)

There was a lot of talk between the Grangers and Potters as they shared a smaller table in the Seven Seas Main Dining Room. The Bella Mer had departed promptly at 5 o'clock and Harry and the girls had changed and had time to watch as the tugboat turned loose the tow rope on the big ship. The Bella Mer had started cruising off to the southeast and across the Adriatic Sea toward its first port of call – Dubrovnik.

The Grangers had been telling the others of the cruise they had taken in the Caribbean years earlier. It had been a 12 day cruise and had included a lot of island hopping but they had to sit at port in the US Virgin Islands waiting for a tropical storm to pass by. Hermione had innocently asked her mother what they had done to while away the 2 days but the blushing by Dee caused Hermione to choke on the water she was drinking. She apologized immediately but Harry had caught Tony trying not to laugh at the situation. Harry calmly informed the girls that he and Tony had reached an agreement. "Don't ask any question that might lead to an answer you really don't want to know."

Dee had got up from her seat at that point and came over to give her daughter a hug and whisper something quietly in her ear. Hermione cheered up immediately but did look at Harry and Ginny a little funny. Harry grabbed Ginny and they went and helped themselves to the huge desert buffet that was set up in one corner of the dining room. When they came back Hermione and her parents were laughing and all comfortable with each other again.

Hermione stole a few things from both Harry and Ginny's plates to make a dessert for herself while her parents went and fetched their own sweets.

"Anything you want to tell us Nonnie?" Ginny asked as she took a bite out of an éclair.

"Nothing important; just something confidential from my parents that I didn't know about before. So can we take a turn around the decks after supper?"

Harry reached out a hand for Hermione's. "I'm pretty sure that could be arranged. Anywhere specific in mind?"

"Just someplace outside where the three of us can be alone."

'_**I like that idea. But I'm sure a few hundred other couples might have the same notion.'**_

'_**We'll get by. Or find someplace later.'**_

Harry finished off the dish of gelato he was snacking on and waited for Hermione and Ginny to finish. When they were all finished Harry said goodnight to Tony and Dee and thought that they might call them later before they turned in. Tony was going to say something to the three of them but Dee discreetly threw an elbow into her husband's side and just said "Goodnight".

Ginny was walking ahead of the other two as they left the dining room and suddenly heard her name called out from the line of people who were waiting for the second seating.

"Ginny, Ginny." Harry mentally warned the redhead just before a small torpedo launched herself at her legs. Ginny scooped up their new neighbor and swung her around once.

"Hi Lynn. You didn't run away from your mom again did you?" In response the little girl swung her arm around to point at where her brother and parents were rapidly approaching from about twenty feet away.

Harry and Hermione caught up with Ginny about the same time that Kathy and her husband caught up with the wayward child. Harry started introducing themselves but was interrupted by Lynn who wanted to do the honors. "This is Ginny and Harry and Hermione; they all live in the room across from us. One's married to the others but I've forgotten which."

Ginny giggled and transferred the seven year old to her father's arms and Kathy tried to make the introductions properly. Harry shook hands with Ken who was trying to keep Lynn from telling him about everything she had seen in the last five minutes.

Harry shook his head and came up closer to the girl. She watched him as he put a finger to his lips and then transferred the finger to the tip of her nose. She giggled and then fell silent to listen to her parents talk to the "neighbors".

"You're pretty good with children" Kathy said to Harry as they all made their way back to the end of the waiting line.

"Well, it's not generally known but my brother is nothing but a big child himself most of the time." Harry stuck his tongue out at Ginny which Lynn seriously said would get him in trouble. Harry nodded and chucked the girl under the chin for a second. "We're really not that old. It seems like we were just little kids a little while ago ourselves." Hermione rolled her eyes at that statement but just stood close to Ginny.

"I'm glad you don't mind the kids. They haven't found anyone close to their age yet but hopefully we'll see some tonight or at the kiddie pool in the morning."

Hermione took the opportunity to introduce her parents to the Simmonds family when they came by. Harry and the others stayed talking to the Simmonds until the line started moving and people were allowed into the dining room. Even the shy Jeffrey said "Bye" and waved when the Potters left.

Checking one of the ship maps near the elevators, Harry led the way down three decks but didn't give the girls any clue as to where he was headed. It didn't quite seem to be a casual walk but Harry found a secluded corner or two along the way to kiss the girls questions away. They eventually found themselves along the port ("Left goes with port – 4 letters to each Harry") rail and Harry pointed out what he had been searching for – the lifeboats.

"Just taking Dee's advice about getting a nice place to snog" Harry said. Hermione started dragging Harry away but Ginny was curious enough to peek under the covers and see how much room there was inside. Another couple out walking saw what she was doing and laughed. Ginny still had a little blush on her face when she caught up to her spouses at the elevator. "That's enough exploring for one evening I think."

"We won't tell my parents then" Hermione said as she caught Ginny up in a hug.

It only took a few minutes for them to return to their room. The three moved the center end table and pushed the two beds together and Ginny did a quick enlargement on the sheets so that they fit the new larger bed. The girls then made Harry go out to their balcony for a bit so that they could change for bed. They drew the curtains behind him so he couldn't even peek a little while they changed.

Harry turned off the light to the balcony and just leaned on the railing and stared out into the ocean for a bit. This seemed such a radical change from where he had been a year ago at the Dursleys or even a few days ago at Potter Manor. Harry wondered if his life was going to be full of changes that he couldn't even imagine yet. The lock on the balcony clicked open and the door was opened just a crack. Taking this as his signal to come back in Harry parted the curtains to come back into their room.

Hermione or Ginny had left the light on in the bathroom and shut the door halfway. Squinting a little as his eyes adjusted Harry heard a pair of giggles coming from the bed. What he saw there made him immediately cast privacy and silencing charms on the room and opened balcony behind him.

"Couldn't find anything else to wear?"

"We hoped you wouldn't mind."

Harry tried to look upset but he really couldn't when he was faced with two gorgeous girls that were wearing his pajama tops. And nothing else. Ginny pirouetted first and Harry felt his mouth suddenly become dry and his heart rate increase. Ginny had shortened his top but Harry wasn't going to complain; it ended just at the bottom of her bum. Every time she moved he caught a peek of the two cheeks he had a hard time keeping his hands off of.

Hermione was lying face up on the bed but she only had one button of his top fastened; the one between her breasts. Harry felt his mouth drop and he had to remind himself not to drool. Hermione had both her legs raised from the bed and was scissoring them gently up and down.

Harry was still staring at Nonnie when Ginny walked by him and shut the balcony door very firmly. "It is way too cold in here" she complained. "Look at how bad my nipples have swelled up Jamie."

Ginny pulled on Harry's shoulder and turned him so that he could see her unbutton the top and show him how swollen and brown her nipples had become. Harry looked at her for a second and then Ginny asked him an important question. "Could you warm them up for me please?"

Harry wordlessly nodded and Ginny led him by the hand so she could lay flat on the edge of the bed. Harry knelt down at her side and blew on his hands trying to warm them up. When he started massaging her breasts Ginny sighed contentedly and placed her hands over Harry's to 'help' the massage. Harry saw that Hermione had turned on her side to trace one hand up and down Ginny's stomach. That pattern continued on for three or four minutes but then Harry told Ginny that it didn't seem he was making much progress on making her warmer as her nipples were still pretty swollen and tight.

Ginny sighed and brought Harry's head down for a kiss to the lips. "It might make a difference if you placed your mouth over it and tried fixing it that way."

Harry kissed Ginny back and whispered in his sincerest voice. "I'll try Vixen because I can see how much you're suffering." Ginny and Hermione both giggled at this but Harry blew gently on the nearest breast and then engulfed Ginny's nipple with his mouth. Ginny squirmed and then gasped suddenly as Hermione did the same on the other side.

'_**I think this is helping her warm up Harry but I think there's one more place we can rub to really make her feel warmer.'**_

Harry raised his eyes up to see Nonnie wink at him and then watched as her hand drifted further down Ginny's body. Ginny was breathing a little heavier now due to the actions taking place on her chest and the hands stroking her sides and lower belly. Harry reached down as far as he could and dragged a few fingers up the inside of her legs and felt them part for him.

Nonnie found Harry's hand and they joined together in stroking Ginny's center. Ginny pushed their joined hands lower as she reached for the little button that gave her so much pleasure. Harry was concentrating on what he was doing with his mouth but felt that Nonnie was also pushing her finger into Ginny along with his. They both stroked in and out together a few times and then Ginny suddenly wrenched herself up and grabbed their hands thrusting them into her really hard. Harry was shocked and Ginny gave a cry as two fingers went through the tiny flap of skin that had been deep inside her since the day she was born!

Harry looked up to see a few tears fall from Ginny's eyes and he reached up to try and hold her. He was stunned into immobility when he saw some blood on his fingers. Hermione rushed into the bathroom to bring a couple of warm wet washcloths and a towel back out.

Harry was still staring unblinking at his hand when Hermione started washing his hand with one of the washcloths. Harry finally comprehended what had happened and watched downcast as Hermione slipped the towel under Ginny's bottom and started cleaning her off with the other washcloth.

"Ginny, I'm .. I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm so sorry it happened like that. Are you ok? Can you ever forgive me?"

Harry watched Ginny wipe away a last tear and then kiss Hermione who had sat up beside her. She turned back to him and threw both arms around his neck. "There's nothing to forgive love. In case you didn't notice, I was the one to make that happen. And it happened with all three of us involved so you have nothing to feel guilty about."

Harry sat up on the bed and pulled Ginny into his lap, towel and all. Hermione came around to sit and hug them both. They all sat quietly for a few minutes and then Harry asked again. "How bad are you hurting?"

"It hurt really bad when it first… tore but it's just a little sting now. I've hurt worse after falling off my broom but I think I'll probably be a little sore tomorrow. Nothing permanent."

"But you just lost…"

"I know Harry, I know. But I'm a little relieved in a way too. I think I'm going to take a nice warm shower since we have one of those detachable nozzle things."

Ginny climbed off Harry and wrapped the towel around her hips before making her way to the bathroom. Hermione heard her turn the shower on and then the door closed. Harry looked around the room and then stared at the bed linens for a bit seeing if there was anything he needed to magically clean up. Seeing nothing he reached out a hand for Hermione and pulled her in close for a hug.

Still holding her hand, Harry mumbled something and Hermione had to lean closer. She finally picked up his chin and saw that he was quietly crying. She held Harry and rocked him for a bit. "She won't want to see you cry you know."

"I know." Harry wiped away the tears and shook himself a bit. "Before she comes back out, you need to tell me the truth. Is this something both of you planned or did Ginny just make a snap decision to end her virginity like that?"

Hermione pulled her legs up on the bed and crossed them before her. "I'm not sure how to answer that. Ginny and I have talked about all the ways we could make sure we passed that challenge if it ever came up. Something like what just happened was one of the possibilities but we didn't make any actual plans for that tonight. We were going to 'take care' of Ginny's cold problem to her satisfaction and then I was going to complain that it was too hot in here and get you and me naked to carry on. That's all Harry, I swear it."

"Okay Nonnie I believe you. I guess we'll never know if it was a deliberate act on her part or she got carried away. It doesn't matter I guess."

They heard the shower stop and Ginny finally reemerged from the bathroom wearing some knickers. She came over and sat back on the bed between Harry and Hermione and let them hug her.

"I don't mean to be a cold blanket to you two. You were just so good I wanted more."

Harry turned Ginny and had her look at him. She stared back into his eyes for many seconds and then broke down and hung her head. "I'm sorry Harry. Please don't hate me. I just wanted to get rid of the problem."

"Your virginity wasn't a problem Ginny. We only had the possibility of having a challenge issued on our marriage; there wasn't a real one yet and there might never have been. And I don't hate you Gin. I never could."

"So are we okay? Are you going to resent that I sort of used both you and Hermione?"

"I can only speak for myself Gin but if we had to take care of the potential problem, I'm sort of glad we were all involved in it. I sort of understand considering how truly crazy the whole situation has been making me."

Ginny cried but hugged Harry with everything she had. She then turned to Hermione with a look. Hermione just folded her into a hug and rocked her a little. She kissed Ginny gently on the lips and told her she did understand the need to do 'something' rather than wait around with a possibility of having a choice forced upon the three of them.

Harry started thinking about the way Hermione had phrased the situation. He hadn't liked the possible problem to start with and all the possible solutions had frankly made him a little upset and guilty feeling in advance. He wasn't sure how he felt about what Ginny had done but he did know he felt just a tad better that he had been with Ginny and Hermione when it happened rather than letting her do something about it by herself.

Harry moved back to the headboard and leaned back against it. He held out his hands and his wives came and laid down flanking him like they had since their earliest times as a trio. He hugged both of them and turned and kissed each on the head. "I'm a little confused about this all and as much as I personally think Nonnie needs a good ravishing, I'm just not up to it right now."

Ginny unbuttoned a few of Harry's shirt buttons and slipped her hand inside it to rub his chest. "I hope you don't think that what happened tonight means that I want to start shagging you. Neither of us is ready for that but I'm still sorry that Nonnie and you aren't getting any pleasure tonight because of me."

Hermione reached over and placed a finger on Ginny's lips. "Neither Harry nor I are blaming you and I get a lot of pleasure just being with my spouses, thank you very much."

Harry bent down to kiss Ginny. "I hardly ever argue with the smartest one of us. What she said goes double for me too."

Ginny wasn't sure what she could do for these two incredible people so she just smiled at them and told them how much she loved them. "But I still think Harry has way too many clothes on."

The three broke out laughing at Ginny's statement. There was a quick flurry of clothes hitting the floor and the three Potters settled back in the darkened room and talked themselves to sleep over the course of a couple of hours.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24 – Cruising - Day 2

Ginny and Hermione both rolled over at the same time attempting to snuggle into Harry. It unfortunately was not to be this morning and the two young ladies ended up bumping heads rather soundly in the middle of the bed.

"Hey, that hurt."

"Sorry Hermione. Is Harry off in the loo? I just don't understand how he can get out of bed like that and not wake either of us up?"

"Harry?"

'_**Harry?'**_

'_**Harry!'**_ Both girls were a little frantic that they weren't getting any answer from their husband; they were starting to panic. They were in the middle of changing and rushing over to wake up Dee and Tony when they got an answer. Of sorts.

'_**I'm sorry but the number you have dialed does not appear to be fully operational at this time. Kindly deposit another 100 pounds to get a repeat of this message. Click.'**_

Despite repeated attempts to have Harry talk to them, he just wasn't answering.

"That's a weird answer, even for Harry. Where is he Gin? You've always been able to locate him faster than I could."

Ginny paused in getting dressed and closed her eyes for a couple of seconds. "Fifth deck – all the way to the rear."

"Aft or stern."

"Whatever. He's in trouble for not leaving a note; I hope he's still not upset about what happened."

"Oh I'm sorry, how callous of me. How are you this morning Gin?"

"A little achy down below but okay it seems."

"Come here a second." Ginny came over for a hug from Hermione and felt a little bit of the bond magic flare up between them. And then Hermione put a hand over her mouth. "I didn't… I didn't use enough to reverse things did I?"

Ginny smiled and kissed Hermione's cheek. "No, I think that would take Harry and a lot of deliberate power and intent on our part. Don't go suggesting that to him either. I've done my bit and paid my price for our marriage."

Hermione's mouth got tight and her eyes began to water. Ginny mentally kicked herself. "Sorry, I didn't mean that anyway close to the way it came out. Please forgive me; I'm distracted by whatever's gotten into Harry. You and I and maybe Dee will sit down later and talk. Is that okay Hermione?"

The brunette nodded her head and then stood up. "You're the one that went through that trauma and pain and you're trying to comfort me. We're a good pair you and me Mrs. Potter."

"Don't you forget that Mrs. Potter. Thanks for the little bit of healing; I feel much better now. Let's go see what's bothering Harry."

The two finished getting dressed and made their way down to the fifth deck. After taking a wrong turn or two they finally got directions to the aft patio. Before they got close they heard a sound that repeated about every 6 seconds. Thwack… Thwack…. Thwack….

The finally opened the last door to see a little area about 10 feet wide by about 5 foot deep and their husband Harry was methodically picking up a piece of ice from a large bag at his feet, throwing it up in the air and hitting with a type of round stick that Ginny had never seen before. The ice sailed off the back of the boat and was lost as it bobbed in the wake of the Bella Mer.

'_**What's that?' **_

'_**It's a baseball bat. From an American game. How did Harry find one of those out here?'**_

As they got closer, they heard Harry yelling something out loud as he swung at the ice cubes.

"Tommy Bloody Riddle." Shwack!

Pickup. High Throw. "Senior Overpompous Delores bootlicking Umbridge." Thwack!

Pickup. Throw. "Stupid Medieval Idiots." Smack!

Pickup. Throw. "Peter Pettigrew." Zing!

Pickup. Throw. "Minister Fudgeless." Tunk!

Pickup. Throw. "Harry freakin' Potter" was called out from Ginny.

Harry swung and missed the cube and slipped on the deck that was covered in ice chips. He fell flat on his butt and Hermione and Ginny rushed to see if he was okay. They found Harry laughing as he looked around at all the slushy debris the area was covered with. "Serves me right" he said as they helped him up.

"Why?"

"I should have left a note for you two instead of just getting frustrated about everything and leaving the room."

Hermione applied a drying charm to the seat of Harry's pants and Ginny chucked the remaining contents of the ice bag overboard. "How long have you been out here Harry?"

"I woke up about 5 with another of Tommy boy's flashbacks. And then I just got frustrated and angry; I decided to go out for a walk and cool off."

"You weren't mad at me, were you?" Ginny looked very worried.

"No Gin. I'm just mad at the whole magical world and system that would even allow someone to dispute how I feel about you two and this marriage we have."

"So how did you end up out here with that?" Hermione said pointing at the bat.

"I was down going through the Galleria and all those shops and saw this hanging in one corner of the sports shop window. The clerk was good enough to open up very early for me. Seemed perfect for taking out my frustrations on something; you'll be happy Hermione that I spared a perfectly good bag of apples in choosing to get a bag of ice cubes off one of the waiters in the aft dining hall."

"Didn't he think that was rather weird? You wanting to bash something with that bat?" Ginny asked.

"A little but he said he's seen a lot of husbands do stranger things on their cruises. I only had to pay him a pound for the ice - I thought it was a good investment seeing as the Bella Mer doesn't have a Room of Requirement."

Hermione reached out to hold Harry's hand but then grabbed it up with two hands. "You're frozen Harry."

"It's just my hands Hermione; they'll warm up in a couple minutes."

"No arguments. You're coming back with us and getting into a hot shower."

Harry waggled his eyebrows but then looked down to hug Ginny who had glommed onto his chest. "How are you doing gorgeous?"

"Jamie – I'm not..."

"To me you are. How are you this morning?"

"A little dinged up but perfectly willing to help Nonnie wash you up."

"Does that include warming too?"

"You can put your hands and fingers anywhere you think that might help them get warm Harry." It was Hermione's eyebrows that were waggling suggestively now and Harry laughed. But then he gulped as a Ginny's hand made its way into one of the front pockets of his jeans.

Harry groaned just a little and then kissed his redhead wife. "I'm glad you're feeling a little better. I guess we could restart our day with a shower." The three held hands as they left the impromptu batting cage.

There were a few surprised shrieks at first but then the girls made sure that Harry got his hands good and warm in the shower. Anyone could tell because both Ginny and Hermione's faces were very flushed with color when they left the shower to dry off.

Xxxx xxxx

Hermione pounded on the door another time. "Get up you lazy folks. The sun's been up for over two hours already."

"We should have called first" Harry said. "Maybe they've already gone down to breakfast."

"They don't get up that early on vacation."

"I think that's what Harry meant" said Ginny. "Maybe they wanted to order room service for their first morning meal. They could be even still sleeping. Maybe…"

"…they have an exceptionally annoying daughter who doesn't understand what the word vacation really means." Tony tried looking grumpy when he opened the door but hugs from both his daughter and Ginny wiped the scowl from his face. He stared at Harry for a second. "Can't you control your wife at all?"

"Not my fault. She wanted to wake you an hour ago when we came back from an early walk. We threw her into the shower and at least tried to hold her in there."

"Harry had better luck with that than me; at least he distracted her from getting to her first classroom before breakfast started."

"Ginny!"

"Good morning ladies, Harry." Dee exited their bathroom wearing a nice grey pantsuit and fastening a pair of earrings on. Dee kissed Tony and gave Harry a hug. "You three have a nice evening?"

The three glanced at each other searching for an answer. "Fairly decent" Ginny finally answered. "We stayed up late talking after Harry dragged us down to find the lifeboats."

"And?" Tony asked.

"Don't ask questions you might not want to know the answers to" Dee reminded her husband.

"Well, we best get to breakfast then. Can't have Harry and Hermione passing out from low blood sugars during a class designed to let you know how to ask how to get to the nearest bathroom."

"Dad!"

"Well, I suppose it's going to be a little better than that. We took a Spanish class during our prior cruise and it did come in handy for haggling for some souvenirs while on shore at a couple of places."

Hermione grabbed up her father's arm and then pulled Harry along with them. "We'll get there and hold some places for you two." She was out of the room and halfway to the elevators before Tony thought to ask where Ginny and his wife were.

Harry knew but wasn't going to tell Tony that his younger wife and her mother-in-law were starting a slightly awkward conversation. Ginny had woken up still achy and tender but a little bit of magical healing had help with most of that. Hermione had volunteered her mother to answer the difficult questions that Ginny had about the aftereffects of what had happened to her. Ginny trusted Dee enough to give her honest answers and, more importantly, not tell Molly Weasley about it.

The three travelers found a huge breakfast buffet in the dining room. Harry, Tony and Hermione had filled up their plates and were heading back for coffee, tea and juices when they saw Dee and Ginny finally enter. Harry told them where they were seated and stayed with Ginny while she filled up her plate.

"Get much advice?" Harry asked quietly.

Ginny nodded and talked quietly as she made selections from the platters and bowls of food. "Dee said maybe another day of achiness. Walking helps a little bit in some cases. She recommended staying out of the pools today because of all the chemicals that are in them. She thought that maybe…" Ginny paused and then spoke to Harry mentally.

'_**She said that maybe a water based lubricant could be applied internally to ease the pain and swelling. She said no big intrusions for a while.**_'

Harry blanched but then saw the gleam in Ginny's eyes. _**'She never said that last bit.'**_

"But she did say all the rest. So if I or Hermione go to the ship store later for that would you mind helping?"

Harry grinned shyly and stated he was always at her beck and call. Ginny slapped him before they joined the Grangers at the table for breakfast. Everybody compared their plans for the morning. Hermione said that she and Harry's class started at 8:30 but then Harry and Ginny had their first dance lesson at 11:00. Dee and Tony said that they might go up and get some sun on deck or see what was playing at the movies. Dee invited Ginny to come along with them but she said she was just going back to her room and read until Harry and Hermione were done with their class.

"That doesn't sound like much fun" Tony said.

"If you knew how talkative the two of them are sometimes you wouldn't say that a couple of hours of silence wasn't fun."

Dee laughed out loud at that. "She's got you there Hermione."

Hermione tried to look insulted by Ginny's words but failed miserably at it. "I suppose we should go back to our room and get some note-taking materials. I wasn't planning on classes – I hope I brought enough."

Hermione looked confused as everybody laughed. "What is so funny?"

Harry stood up and kissed Hermione on the forehead. "Nothing dear. We'd best go check your supplies. Are you two taking the tour bus this afternoon or just doing some hiking after we arrive in Croatia?"

Tony had to think a minute before replying. "Dubrovnik is only about 30,000 people but its spread out I think. I think we were going to take the tour bus but then do some exploring on our own if there was time. Maybe have supper in town since we don't have to be back on the ship until 8 tonight. You three can join us if you'd like."

Harry looked at the nods from his girls before he agreed. "Guess we'll call you after we drop anchor or dock then. Maybe about 2? That way you can have a nice enjoyable lunch without putting up with us."

"You're no problem. We like your company. Honestly." Dee stood up to give Hermione a hug but then held out her arms for Ginny. Ginny smiled when Dee engulfed her also. "We three girls will find someplace to talk quietly today" she whispered in the redhead's ear. Ginny nodded and shyly gave her a kiss to the cheek.

"Have I missed something dear?" Tony asked his wife as she watched the three Potters leave the dining room.

"No, I'm just happy to see my girl's family off to a good start and feel nice that we're getting to know the other two a lot better. Harry and Ginny are both wonderful people. "

"Yes, I'm glad we here with them too. I hope they'll include us in some of their future travels."

"I'm in good standing with Harry's wives. I can put in a hint with them." Dee returned her focus to her husband and her breakfast as Harry and Hermione went and got some pens and paper before finding a small room a couple of doors down from the library that was to serve as their classroom.

The first of the 4 hours of instruction was dedicated to the basics of the Italian language. Pronunciation, simple phrases and so forth. There was a lot of similarity to some of the Latin phrases that they used for spells at Hogwarts so it wasn't extremely difficult. Harry had to bite back a smile as he repeated "Dov'e it bagno?" after the instructor. Just like Tony had warned earlier – Harry now knew the way to ask for the nearest restroom in Italian.

It was a pretty good class all in all. About twenty people left the room wishing everybody 'Ciao' and "Buongiorno'. Hermione was looking through the handouts while fretting about homework and the books that were in the library concerning the Italian language. (Do you think we could copy those books and take them back to our room Harry?")

Harry kissed his wife and laughingly left her in a familiar place; in the library surrounded by books. He went back to their room to escort Ginny down to the Cyprus Palms, a bar that had enough room to have its own dance floor. He was surprised when they came in to find Dee and Tony also waiting for the class to start.

"Never, ever miss a chance to dance with the ones you love" Tony offered as way of explanation. "Besides, Ginny has no excuse now to not dance with me."

Harry and the other two had shuffled their feet around the dance floor together a time or two but neither Harry or Ginny had any formal training. Harry quietly put warding charms on Ginny's feet to save her from his clumsiness. By the end of the class he had succeeded in not only making it around the dance floor in a basic waltz but traded partners once so that he and Dee could dance together while Tony got a chance to guide his new daughter-in-law around. Hermione had come in to watch their progress and had applauded the foursome.

The women had insisted on lunch together so Harry and Tony went and got their noon meal at the Great Escape Café. Tony and Harry gave their order to the waiter and Harry wondered if Tony had picked this place out deliberately. It was right next to the main pool area and there were a variety of swimsuits covering or attempting to cover a lot of female forms. Harry blushed when he was caught looking at a couple of very scantily clad young ladies by Tony. "It's ok to look Harry as long as you confess that all you're doing is looking. Dee understands that I am only interested in her so I have her permission to look as long as I don't drool."

Harry chuckled as the waiter brought back their sandwiches and salads. They ate their meal in silence for a bit until Harry just blurted out the question that had been on his mind all morning. "Has Dee ever made a major decision that you thought she should have talked to you about?"

"Is this concerning the hen session or whatever it is that is going on between our wives now?"

Harry slumped down a bit. "Probably but it's not something I can talk to you about."

"That serious then? Well to answer your question, Dee has made a couple of decisions that she felt so strong enough about that she didn't want me to talk her out of or delay. Sometimes for my own good and sometimes because she just understood the problem and solution better than I ever could. You do trust Hermione and Ginny to make decisions on their own?"

"Of course" Harry said.

"Then there will probably be times when decisions happen because you or they wanted to act on something immediately. It's not always right but that's the way life goes sometimes. You shouldn't begrudge Hermione or Ginny if they thought it was something important."

Harry nodded as he remembered a few times he acted without consulting either of his girls. It made sense the way Tony had explained. He would let Ginny know that he understood her decision and supported it.

The husbands ate and talked over lunch and returned to their rooms to find Dee, Hermione and Ginny trying to figure out whether they should bring jackets for the shore trip. The skies had gone overcast after the ship had dropped anchor in the harbor. A few water taxis had come and moored themselves to the ship and a lot of passengers departed for the shore. Dee pulled out a camera and took pictures of both the approaching town and her travel companions. Hermione and Ginny made a show of attempting to throw Harry overboard and Dee could hardly stop laughing to take the picture.

Dubrovnik was an ancient city that relied heavily on the sea for both its livelihood and strategic position. There was a very busy fish market that the passengers walked through in getting to their bus. The oldest parts of town had a medieval type wall built up for defense and protection. Although that did little for the weapons of modern warfare. Harry and the others witnessed a lot of damaged neighborhoods from prior regional conflicts and the efforts that were being made to rebuild the town.

The tour by bus took about an hour and a half. One of the meandering bus stops was a small Greek chapel built high up in the hills. The group of people getting off the bus were taken by the beauty and charm of the ancient structure and its view of the town and the harbor. Harry was amazed how big their ship looked in the harbor compared to the small fleet of fishing boats that were floating around it. The drive back down to the village was a lot more exciting than the trip up as other cars and vehicles were making their way up the narrow highway.

After the bus tour ended, the Grangers and Potters took their own trip around the town. An old basilica had some marvelous bells in it's tower and Harry was really impressed by the sight and magnificent sound of the pipe organ that was inside. Hermione clapped her hand over Ginny's mouth before she was going to make a comment about organ size in front of her parents. The five managed to do a little window shopping before finding a small seafood restaurant down by the docks for supper.

Fireworks were set off from the town as the passengers from the cruise ship returned to their vessel. Harry and the girls were impressed by the display although Ginny said that her brothers did a much better job of creating creatures with their efforts.

Harry, Ginny, and Hermione returned to their cabin for a bit of snuggling and kissing. A slightly self-conscious redhead watched in fascination as both Hermione and Harry used their fingers to help ease the internal discomfort she was still feeling. Although it was a valid 'medical' reason, both Ginny and Hermione told a blushing Harry had a knack for using his fingers so well. The use of the lubricant also started a conversation between the two wives that quickly had Harry applying a silencing spell on his ears. Harry was thanked afterwards by both his wives for his carefulness and attentiveness before he fell into a deep sleep with a wife clinging tightly to him on each side.

(A/N I've never had the money or opportunity available at the same time to actually go on a cruise. All misconceptions and errors in these chapters are the result of my faulty imagination.)


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25 – Ginny's Day

August 11th 1993 brought a lot of surprises to the Potter family aside from the fact that it was Ginny's birthday. The surprises started with an early knock on the door as the trio had taken the day off from their morning walk or exercise. When Harry asked who was at the door, he was surprised when the person replied "Room Service". Harry waited until the girls had thrown on some robes and transfigured their bed back into two beds. He opened up the door and watched as the waiter brought in a huge tray full of food on a cart. Harry was about to close the door but Dee and Tony came in singing "Happy Birthday". They were wearing paper party hats and blowing little kazoos and Ginny wasn't sure if she should blush or laugh. She ended up doing a little of both as Harry tipped the waiter before everyone sat down to eat the breakfast the adult Grangers had ordered for everyone. The conversations went from Ginny's presents (after lunch) to the formal dinner that was being held that evening.

Neither Harry nor Tony had received any hints as to what their spouses were wearing for the dress supper but only received reassurances that they would be happy with what the women had chosen to wear. It was decided that the women would get dressed in the Grangers room. Ginny and Hermione both wanted to have Dee help with their makeup. Tony joked that he and Harry would have time to play more than a few games of cribbage before they had to get ready themselves. Dee threatened that he could go to the dinner by himself. Tony apologized but Harry knew the two were having a good time teasing each other.

The second day of the cruise would be entirely at sea as the ship was making a long transit to Athens, Greece. As such a lot of the sign-up classes were going to be held sometime during the day; the time of Harry's classes with his wives were reversed from the day before and the lecture that Hermione was going to attend was slated to start about 3 that afternoon.

Tony and Dee finished their breakfast and left to take a walk before heading for the dance class with Harry and Ginny. There was a knock on their door about a minute after they left and Harry thought they had forgotten something. He opened the door to find Jeffrey and his mother smiling at them.

"Good morning Jeffrey, Mrs. Simmonds. Please come in; Ginny and I are heading out in a few minutes but we have a few minutes to talk. What can we do for you?"

Jeffrey had gone over to the bed and climbed up on it as Hermione was offering him a buttered roll. He took it from her with a small "Thanks'. "We're about to head down for breakfast in a while but we were wondering if we could ask a favor?"

"What?" asked Harry. Ginny was playing peekaboo with the young boy and he was starting to giggle.

"Ken and I were planning on attending the formal dinner tonight but the ship's daycare is just swamped with other parents' requests. We don't know anyone else well enough yet to ask a favor of. We were hoping that we could impose on one of you to watch Lynn and Jeffrey for an hour. We'd be willing to pay you."

"I'd be happy to watch the two for you Kathy. You don't have to pay me." Hermione explained that Harry and Ginny had some plans later but she would be free. "What time are you planning on leaving?"

"Our seating is at 7:30 tonight but Ken and I can hurry through supper."

"Don't do that. Take your time and enjoy the meal. I'm sure Lynn, Jeffrey and I will have a wonderful time until you get back."

"Are you sure you don't mind?"

"No, I think it will be fun. Jeffrey, can I visit with you and you sister tonight while your parents go to supper?"

Jeffrey nodded quickly and hopped down off the bed. He ran up and tugged on his mother's hand and pointed back across the hallway. "Time for breakfast. I'm hungry."

"Thank you Hermione. Just come on over about a quarter after seven. Jeffrey lies down for the night at 8 and Lynn goes to bed at 8:30. We should be back by then."

"Okay we'll see you later." Kathy and her son closed the door behind them and Harry and the others heard Lynn and her family go down the hallway much later. Hermione explained her volunteering as a way to let Ginny and Harry have some important alone time on Ginny's birthday. Ginny hugged Hermione and said that she was just as important to her birthday as Harry was. Hermione blushed but said she might come back after the babysitting and help Ginny celebrate instead of spending the evening with her parents.

Harry and Ginny left soon after that and met Tony and Dee for another hour of dance lessons. They continued on with the waltz and were shown a few variations to the basic steps. Harry was doing pretty well for a while but his feet tangled up once and he accidentally tripped himself and knocked down Tony who was dancing next to them. Harry apologized but Ginny had to lean against the wall because she was shaking so hard with laughter. The only thing Harry could hope for was that Ginny hadn't broadcast the incident to Hermione.

The music changed a little for the last 15 minutes of the session as the two instructors demonstrated the next dance they would be learning – the Foxtrot. Harry watched the fancy footwork and turned to apologize in advance to Ginny before she had a chance to say a word to him. She just laughed and hugged him around the neck thanking him for doing something for her he was uncomfortable with.

The following Italian class with Hermione went a lot better in Harry's opinion. Ginny was 'listening' in through Hermione and didn't try to make her laugh once during the hour. Everyone met up in the dining room for an early lunch and then they went back to the Potters room to give Ginny her birthday presents.

Ginny had a hard time sitting still as presents were brought to her side. She tore into the wrappings with a vengeance once she got the go ahead. Dee gave Ginny a couple of nice scarves, a nice makeup case and a pair of dress shoes with three inch high heels. Ginny looked at them a little dubiously but Hermione told her it wouldn't take much time to get used to walking with them.

Tony had somewhere found a huge red pullover sweater that Ginny laughed about and then hugged him for. It had three openings for heads but only two regular arms. "That's for the three of you to wear together during those cold Quidditch matches. I'm not sure what the person in the middle is to do with their hands as there isn't any opening for them." Dee shook her head at her husband's statement but winked at Harry knowingly. Harry smiled and pushed his present closer to Ginny.

Ginny was very careful about opening her present from Harry. He had pranked her a bit on other birthdays so she was very cautious. She was delighted to find some nice running clothes as well as a brand new set of trainers in her size. Harry also got her a set of self-inking quills so she didn't have to carry around ink for her classes. There was also a card tucked in with the package from Harry. She read it quickly and then launched herself at her husband and kissed him soundly. "Thank you Harry."

"What was that Ginny?" Dee asked.

"My wonderful husband made a special trip to the Burrow. This card is from my parents and brothers and says that they'll have another birthday party and presents for me once we get to Egypt. It's signed by all of them with love and best wishes and Dad wrote that it was all Harry's idea."

"I knew you'd miss them since they couldn't be here today." Harry knew the few tears Ginny had were happy ones and he was glad he had thought about including her family even as slight as it was.

Hermione's was the last present unwrapped on the bed and Ginny went and hugged her before she even touched it. The carefully wrapped and decorated present was opened and Ginny pulled out a two pair of socks with toes in them and a couple of sets of leg-warmers. Harry quipped that everyone would sleep better because of them and Ginny pinched him and threatened not to show him the rest. At the sight of Harry's puppy dog eyes, Ginny relented and pulled out a book of Healing Diagnostic spells that Hermione had found at Flourish and Blotts. Ginny said the remainder of the present was something she wasn't comfortable with displaying with her father-in-law in the room. Tony volunteered to leave at that point but Ginny just laughed and gave Hermione a kiss on the cheek.

Ginny said she hated to end the party but she wanted to finally go to the pool and go swimming. She teased Harry that the way they were going he might not get a chance to see the new swimsuits they had bought. Harry immediately turned and made shooing motions to his in-laws and Dee laughed. Ginny went around the room thanking everyone again for the presents and giving out additional hugs. Dee and Tony were about to leave when the sound of a small fanfare came out of midair and another person appeared in the room with a small pop.

Dobby appeared right in the middle of the room carrying a huge chocolate cake. He placed it carefully down on the little table and then turned and bowed to Harry, Hermione and Ginny. "Happy Birthday, Lady Ginny. The house elves wanted to do something nice for your birthday and Dobby was more than happy to bring this cake and a present for the great Lord Harry's bondmate." Dobby snapped his fingers and a small tray with saucers, silverware and a green and white wrapped box appeared on the bed.

Ginny knelt down to hug the blue caped house elf while Dee and Tony stared at the sudden appearance of the little being. They had seen some house elves while visiting Potter Manor but the strange looking one before them almost started crying in gratitude when Ginny hugged him. Harry said he would explain Dobby to Tony and Dee later while Ginny took the time to unwrap the present. She was very happy at what the elves had made for her. It was a simple silver framed picture that showed Ginny walking hand in hand with both her bondmates in front of Potter Manor.

"This is wonderful Dobby. Give my thanks to Knop and all the rest of the house elves; you and they have made a great contribution to making my birthday special."

Dobby blushed and was about to leave when Ginny insisted that he have the first piece of the cake. Dobby was reduced to tears again and Harry had to gently order him to take the piece Ginny offered him. Dobby sat on the floor eating and watched as the five humans each had a piece of the cake themselves. When everyone had finished their cake, Dobby snapped his fingers and reduced the cake and everything else he had brought to the size of his palm and solemnly presented it to Harry. He whispered in Harry's ear for a minute or so and then bowed to the humans again. Harry smiled as the enthusiastic house elf vanished as quickly as he had come.

Tony and Dee left and said that they would see them up by the pool. Harry waited until they had left before he told the girls what Dobby had whispered to him. "Dobby has finished about half the assignment about checking our houses. He said there was one that he though the three of us might really like. Knop wanted us to know that the elfling Llasol is carrying is female. They want to name her…. Harmiony, in honor of all of us."

Both Hermione's and Ginny's mouth dropped open in surprise. "We're having an elfling named after us?" Hermione finally squeaked out. When Harry nodded, both girls let out a little scream and hugged each other excitedly. "When? Did Dobby say when she was going to deliver?"

"No but I'm sure somebody will come and tell us."

The girls calmed down a bit after that but still chatted away about the upcoming arrival as they changed. Harry was asked to put his swimming trunks on in the bathroom and did as they asked. He came out to find Ginny was wearing a dark green swimsuit and Hermione had a snug black outfit on. Harry felt a little relieved that both girls had chosen a one piece suit rather than a bikini. He watched them turn and twist in front of the mirror trying to get a good look at themselves and finally growled a little and shared how he saw them with both girls. They turned and looked at him a little strangely but didn't make a sound when Harry helped them on with their covers.

Ginny had a quizzical look on her face as the made their way to the elevators but Harry finally relented and explained his earlier growl. "I'm sorry for being possessive but you two are absolutely gorgeous in those suits and if anyone looks at you the least bit sideways I may not be responsible for my actions."

Both girls laughed and kissed Harry. "Thanks for the compliment but you know we aren't going to pay attention to anybody else but you. If there are stares it's because the girls out there will be jealous of our handsome husband."

Harry relaxed until Hermione reached into the small bag she was carrying and pulled out a bottle. "You are going to rub us down properly with sun tan lotion, aren't you Jamie?"

Ginny smiled and looked up at Harry. "I really want to get good and lathered up. Think you can help with that?"

Harry closed his eyes and leaned against the side of the elevator. "Merlin, don't let me embarrass myself again."

Hermione reached into her bag and pulled out her wand. She pointed it at Harry and he felt the T-shirt he was wearing get 6 inches longer. "We can't have that showing Harry or you'll be mobbed for real."

Harry blushed and ducked his head in front of the girls. _**'You know the effect you have on me. I wish I could control it but it seems to have a mind of its own. Especially when you lead me on like that.' **_

"It's okay Harry, we're happy to be with you in whatever condition you're in. We'll just relax a bit on the lounge chairs before we get in the pool. That should let you relax enough not to be worried about Em being on display."

Harry nodded just as the elevator stopped on the main deck. He walked in front of the girls as they made their way outside; he knew he would have a very bad problem if he followed them because of the way they were dressed. Seeing those legs and what he knew was atop them was sure to make walking a little difficult. Harry sank down with a groan at the first group of three empty lounge chairs they came to poolside. 'I'm such a perv' he thought to himself.

Ginny made him budge over a space so that Harry could lie down between them. He tried keeping his eyes closed as he knew Ginny and Hermione would be taking their covers off and lying down immediately next to him.

'_**Is there a problem Harry?'**_

'_**Sorry Hermione. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Maybe I should have stayed in the room.'**_

Harry felt rather than saw Ginny move over so that she was sitting next to him on the chair. He felt her play with his hair for a bit and then opened his eyes. The beautiful redhead was looking at him so lovingly that he almost broke up crying right there.

"What's the problem brother dearest?"

Harry looked around to see if anyone was listening before he responded. "Just a very bad case of 13 year old hormones and mind reacting to two very sexy women near me. I'm having a hard time, if you'll excuse the phraseology, not remembering you naked in the shower or what Hermione and I did yesterday and so forth."

Ginny was smirking and Harry saw that Hermione was listening very attentively to the conversation they were having. "I thought you would have gotten used to us being naked and dressed around you by now?"

Harry sat up rather abruptly and made a grab for the towels they had picked up on the way poolside. He draped a towel across his lap and responded to Ginny's question. "I can't help it sometimes; it's impossible not to notice that you are both great looking sexy young ladies and I'm not as grownup and mature as I think I should be. This is just ridiculous. I'm sorry."

Hermione had stood up and walked around to the back of Harry's chair. She looked over the top and held out her hand. "Glasses then. If you can't see us as clearly, maybe you can forget about all this nonsense." Harry took off his glasses and Hermione put them down near her book.

Ginny stood up but leaned back down to whisper in Harry's ear. "We have the same problem as you but it doesn't show up nearly as badly. We know you avoid looking at our nipples directly but you got to have some idea of what seeing you does to both of us." Ginny kissed his cheek and opened up her connection to let Harry know what the sight of him did to her.

When Harry's mouth dropped open, Hermione and Ginny took hold of his chair and pushed it toward the pool. Harry hadn't noticed that it was mounted on wheels and he had barely began to notice that he was moving when both girls tipped the lounge chair up and dumped him right in the water. Harry came up sputtering to the sound of laughter and then both girls jumped in on top of him.

The tickle and splash fight only ended when the lifeguard came over and told them to settle down a bit. Harry treaded water and Ginny and Hermione pulled themselves up to sit on the side of the pool. Harry paddled over so he could look up at the girls. "I am officially an idiot."

Hermione looked at Ginny and then shook her head. "No I'm pretty sure you need a certificate or a test to demonstrate your aptitude at that."

Harry splashed the both of them gently. "I thought I just did that. And very successfully too I might add." He waved at somebody behind them but neither Ginny nor Hermione reacted to that; they thought he was making it up to sneak in and drag them into the pool again.

Two hands came down and pulled Hermione up to a standing position by her armpits. She barely had time to feel her father kiss the top of her head before she heard "I think this belongs to you Harry."

Hermione was airborne a second later and saw that Harry was trying to catch her. Unfortunately Harry was still treading water so he didn't have much luck as both of them went deep under water. Harry grabbed Hermione and swam back to the surface. Ginny was sternly waving a finger at them both when they saw her again. "If I'd known you wanted to do that, you two could have stayed in the room." Ginny laughingly pointed to where Harry's hand was and he immediately let go of Hermione's breast and sank back down in the pool. He stayed underwater until he felt the blush on his cheeks fade away.

Pulling himself back up to the sit on the side of the pool, Harry said hello again to Dee and Tony. Dee was trying to stop the giggles she had. Hermione had got out of the water and was staring up at her father with her best imitation of McGonagall's classroom glare. Tony squirmed for a bit before he put his hands on his daughter's shoulders. His very contrite "Oops" reduced Hermione to giggles and she sat back down next to Harry on the pool edge. He tried apologizing but Hermione just laughed and said it was an inadvertent grope and she was ok.

Ginny had slid into the water when Harry had clamored out and she waved to him from about six feet away. Harry glanced at Hermione and then they both slid back in the pool and swam over to her.

"The look on your face Harry" Ginny started. "I wish I had a camera."

"Well, I'm pretty sure Nonnie didn't want me groping her like that in public."

"I might not mind being groped if nobody noticed. Come here Harry, please."

Ginny smiled at Harry as they moved closer together. Hermione drifted in beside them and blocked the view of the swimmers behind them. Ginny kept her feet kicking as she caressed Harry's chest and stomach underwater. She cocked an eyebrow at him, almost daring him to do the same. Harry took a nervous glance around and saw that nobody was looking at them directly. He tried to talk normally to her as he ran his hands across Ginny's waist line and then up lightly across her chest. Ginny sucked in on her bottom lip as Harry paused for a second at just the right height and rubbed her nipples with his thumbs. Ginny smiled and mouthed 'Thanks' as she pushed off from Harry and headed back for her lounge chair.

Hermione replaced Ginny in treading water in front of him and quietly told Harry that Ginny probably wouldn't be quite so adventurous when they went to Egypt and were sharing quarters with her family.

"So are you feeling that we won't have as much desire or opportunity to play around and kiss there Hermione?"

"Don't ever think Ginny and I don't desire to be close to you. It's going to be a little different from now though. It's going to be a change from private rooms to sharing a house together. None of Ginny's brothers know our secret so we'll have to be our school selves all the time. And I have no idea what her oldest brother Bill is going to think of our sleeping arrangement."

"I don't want Ginny to feel like an outsider with her family so we'll just have to take our cues from her. Their family has never been together on a vacation before and I know Ginny wants to be with them and experience it."

'_**You about ready to put some sunscreen on us now?'**_

"Yes, my temporary bout of mental idiocy has 'subsided' for the time being and I can be normal again."

"Harry, I'm not sure you've never been normal. " Hermione chuckled and turned herself around to swim back to the side of the pool. She shrieked loudly when she felt two hands latch on to her bum and launch her up and forward a good distance. She spun around quickly to see Harry surfacing again and smiling. "Just enjoying the 'feel' of the water Mrs. Potter."

Harry winked at her as he swam by her. Hermione was still trying to decide to be outraged or not when her mother and father swam up and starting talking to her. She smiled privately and 'told' Harry that he was a very handy person to have around. She saw him smile in reply as he poured some suntan lotion on Ginny's leg and started rubbing it in.

Harry and Hermione joined Ginny in just basking in the sun for a while. Ginny tormented Harry just a little bit as she applied some of the suntan lotion to his back but all three took the opportunity to just relax. Dee came and got them after about an hour and they jumped into the pool briefly to cool off before having a couple of cold drinks at one of the outside tables of the Café that he and Tony had eaten at previously.

Hermione had been watching the clock and said that she had to leave and change before attending the lecture she signed up for. Despite telling Ginny and Harry that they could stay and enjoy the pool, her spouses joined her in returning to their room. They all needed to take a quick shower to rinse off the pool chemicals but Ginny said that it would be quicker if Hermione took her shower solo. Hermione reluctantly agreed and went to do that while Harry and Ginny sat out on their patio and chatted. It was only took a couple of minutes for Hermione to shower, change and gather her note taking materials. She hurried to give Harry and Ginny a hug before rushing off to the movie theatre where the lecture was taking place.

Ginny saw the door close to their room and turned to Harry. "Do you suppose there will ever be a day when she's not going to be a rush to go off and learn something new?"

"If that day ever comes, we'll have to notify Madame Pomfrey that Hermione is seriously ill and needs a transfusion of printer's ink."

Ginny chuckled but stood up and held out her hand to her husband. "Care to join me in the shower? It seems like I've developed a malady of my own. I've gotten addicted to having my hair washed by a couple of people; two especially kind and loving ones that I can't live without."

Harry beamed back as they walked to the bathroom. "Always glad to help with that Ginny. Just don't tell my ex-roommates how much I enjoy washing and brushing your and Hermione's hair. They would think I'd gone all poncey on them."

Ginny giggled as she removed her bathing suit and reached for Harry's trunks. "We couldn't have that. Lord Potter getting all sensitive and girlie? No, Hermione and I would have to defend you as a rugged sexy beast that growls at his wives and leaves them weak-kneed with a touch."

"That probably shouldn't get out either. Remus warned me that there might be a lot of marriage proposals for me when we get back to school where everyone knows where I'll be. News of my manliness wouldn't help much"

"WHAT? Proposals? You didn't think this was important enough to tell either me or Hermione. Harry, what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that I'll just toss all those proposals into the nearest bin or use them to start a fire in the Gryffindor common room."

Ginny's outrage suddenly evaporated as she rinsed out both their swimsuits in the warm water and hung them over some bars in the shower to dry off. "Okay as long as you understand that_ we_ aren't going to allow any other females into our marriage."

"That's why I didn't mention it. How about I explain it to both of you later? Now about that shampoo?"

Ginny ducked her head under the shower head to wet her hair down and then handed the bottle to Harry. He poured some out on his hand and then began washing her hair. Ginny leaned back into Harry's chest as her scalp and tresses were massaged and cleaned. A small moan let Harry know much Ginny appreciated the feeling and attention. Ginny complained when he finished with her hair but the two quickly moved on to scrubbing each other's bodies.

Ten minutes and two drying charms later, Ginny and Harry were laying in their bathrobes on top of the bed. Harry was a little surprised when Ginny stopped him from undoing her belt and progressing on to more interesting activities.

"As much as I'd like us to ravish each other for a while, we need to have a serious talk about Hermione while she busy elsewhere."

"Is she okay? She's seemed fine all morning – it's not time for her monthly …"

Ginny smiled. "No nothing like that that Harry. She just a little conflicted now about what I did."

"Oh that. I'm afraid I'm with her with her on that score. Confused and not quite upset still but worried what it is going to do to you and her mentally."

"And she's feeling like she's let us down somehow because she's.. well, you know."

"It's an impossible situation, Ginny. I don't begrudge you for solving your side of it but what do we do now?"

Ginny closed her eyes for a second as if she was gathering up her nerve for something important. "Harry, you've always been great about granting me a birthday request if you could. I had something very personal I wanted you to do with me but I want to change it now."

"So what is so important to change your mind for?" Harry stared at Ginny for a second and then his jaw dropped. "You mean you want me to…?"

"Yes, but only once. She would rather have you make the move, I'm sure of it."

"But it will… rather I will hurt her if I…"

"Shag our lovely brunette genius? Yes, it doesn't have to be when she gets back or tonight even. Just let her know that we love her and you don't want her to get desperate enough to do it to herself."

"You think she would do that?"

Ginny nodded. "To ensure that we wouldn't get separated? Yes I think she would; but I know she would rather be in your arms or with both of us when it happens. Maybe sometime before we leave for Egypt or back at the manor before school starts."

"You've thought about this a lot in the last 24 hours."

"No. Hermione and I have both thought about it a lot since we were warned. Believe me; we've had some real doozies of conversations about our situation. We even made a plan to tie you down and both have our way with you. But we just couldn't do that – without your permission of course."

"I really need to take a look at the books Hermione has been reading."

Ginny grinned. "She's been lending me a few of them to look through. We have lots of interesting ideas now."

Harry shook his head. "We are not going to be acting like bunnies and shagging at every opportunity. I guess I've just agreed for once with Hermione because of the necessity. Oops, that sounded horrible. I love you and Nonnie so much and I'd like to – a lot."

"I know Harry; we feel the same way but it's just not right yet. But we have classes and a few other things to concern ourselves with. We know that and maybe we can celebrate together like that once in a while. We're okay with what we are doing now."

"Good. Think we could practice some more of what we doing now without Hermione getting upset about it?"

"I like the way you think Mr. Potter. I'm sure that we can find something to do to occupy us until Hermione comes back."

"Well, in that case, Mrs. Potter you are way overdressed."

A little giggling gave way to some smooching and then just some contented murmurs in their room.

Xxxx xxxx

Hermione came back in the room an hour later and looked at the tangle of limbs on the bed. It seemed that Harry and Ginny had found a few things to do while she was out. Hermione almost wished she had skipped the lecture but thought it might be handy while they were spending the day in Athens tomorrow. Even if it didn't, it was okay that Harry and Ginny had some together time on her birthday. Hermione had planned on maybe bunking with her parents for the whole evening but the more she thought about it the more she wanted to help Harry make Ginny's evening memorable.

Harry had heard her come in and threw the covers off to come over and thoroughly kiss her. Hermione was the one flustered at this point as Harry was very naked and had that wonderful smell that was his alone. Add that to the wonderful taste of Ginny on his lips and Hermione was about ready to pick him up and throw him down on the bed herself. It was unfortunate that just as Hermione parted her lips to start French kissing Harry, the phone rang.

Ginny answered the phone and listened for about thirty seconds before she said "See you in a bit" and hung up. She immediately picked up Harry's clothes and threw them at him. "That was Tony; he'll be over in five minutes as Dee is kicking him out so we can go over there."

"Bollocks" came from Harry's mouth and he made a grab for his underwear and pants. Ginny went and opened the balcony door to help air out the room as she got dressed herself. Harry helped the two by finding Ginny's clothes and Hermione's dress hangers. By the time Tony actually knocked on the door five minutes later, the room had been magically cleaned up and everyone was dressed. The girls were standing holding on to their garment bags and makeup.

Tony came in and dropped his garment bag on the bed and the girls gave him and Harry both hugs before leaving the room. Hermione rushed back in about 30 seconds later and rummaged through the underwear drawer that she and Ginny were sharing. She found what she was looking for and briefly showed Harry that she was holding something black before she ran from the room again.

Harry asked Tony if it was normal for women to spend so much time getting ready when the men they were with already thought they were gorgeous. Tony laughed and said that he considered it a compliment that Dee wanted to look the best she could for him. Harry nodded and the two men talked a while about dating and formal affairs before they started getting dressed for dinner. Harry needed some help both with the French cufflinks and the cummerbund that came with the tuxedo. Harry finally gave up on trying to make the accessory look right and discarded it. He pulled out the basilisk vest he had received from Ragnorak and donned that after making it change to the shade of green that matched his eyes.

After checking their watches for about the tenth time, Harry and Tony agreed it was time to fetch the women and make their way down to the dining room. Tony knocked on his own door and Dee opened it slowly. She had a long black dress on that looked very nice on her and hugged her in all the right places. Tony had whistled when he had seen her and Harry tried to say how good she looked without seeming hokey about it. Dee gave him a kiss to the cheek and asked him if he was ready to see his dates for the evening.

Harry nodded and Dee opened up the door to the Granger room all the way. Harry saw Ginny first and his hands suddenly starting sweating. Ginny was wearing a dark green silky gown that just seemed to flow from the one shoulder it went over to where it stopped just above her new shoes. Ginny had her hair piled up in a swirl on top of her head and Harry saw one of the styling clips that had belonged to his mother. Ginny wasn't wearing a lot of makeup but the makeup she did have on made her lips seem just a little fuller and her eyes a little bigger and more attractive.

Harry closed his mouth and walked over to pick up Ginny's hand and carefully kissed the back of it. "I only wish we were going dancing tonight Ginny so everyone could see how truly beautiful you are." Ginny smiled and kissed Harry gently on the lips. "You should see your other wife Harry." She grasped Harry gently by the shoulders and turned him to face Hermione.

Gasping at the transformation in front of him, Harry was pushed closer to Hermione. Hermione was wearing a deep red Oriental dress with had dragons in light gold embroidered on it. There was a high upturned collar that accentuated Hermione's neck and a slit up one side that was cut to about six inches above her knee. Harry walked around her slowly as Hermione stood still waiting for his opinion. "Hands down, this is the loveliest I've ever seen you look Hermione."

Hermione just about jumped in delight at Harry's words. She leaned in to hug him and Harry felt Ginny come up behind them to fold them both into a big hug. Tony cleared his throat and said it was time to leave. Harry apologized to his wives for not bringing flowers but said that "it would have only detracted from their beauty." Harry received a few more gentle kisses for that compliment and then Harry held out his arms for the ladies to take.

Being seen between the two gorgeous ladies made Harry a little self-conscious but not enough to pass up an opportunity to have some pictures taken with his family and the Grangers. There was a photographer just before the dining room taking pictures of all that wanted them. Harry and his wives had pictures taken with Hermione's parents and then Harry had a picture taken with both Ginny and Hermione together and then a solo one with him and each of his wives. He knew it would probably be a little expensive paying for all the photos but he wanted every record possible of how lovely they looked.

The Potters ended up sitting three tables away from the Grangers by the time the assigned seating had been handed out. Harry, Ginny and Hermione sat with two other couples but Harry couldn't remember their names or any conversations they had over the four course meal. Harry only had eyes and attention for his lovely wives and they seemed to spend a lot of time staring back at him and his black tuxedo.

When supper was ended, Harry wished the other couples a great evening and walked out to join Tony and Dee in the trip back up to their deck. Tony and Dee were headed for their room and a brief stop before heading out to one of the clubs for an evening of dancing and a few drinks. Hermione wished them a good evening and then she followed Harry and Ginny into their room.

Harry shyly asked if it was ok to watch them change back to their normal clothing and both girls laughed but started disrobing. Harry found out that it was just as fascinating helping Ginny and Hermione get undressed as it was watching them get dressed. Harry found out that the black strapless bra that Ginny had worn didn't match the polka dot knickers she was comfortable with. Harry was pleased when Hermione asked him to unzip her dress; he didn't know what to think when he lowered the zipper and found out she hadn't worn a bra to dinner.

Hermione let the dress drop and puddle at her feet before Ginny brought a hanger for her to put in on. Hermione headed for the dresser to get her regular clothes but Harry stopped her and led her to the bed. He sat down and pulled her into his lap.

"I don't have much time Harry" Hermione said. "It's almost time for me to go and babysit Lynn and Jeffrey."

"This will only take a minute. I hope." Hermione looked at Harry a little quizzically.

"You know that Ginny and I love you very much right?"

Hermione nodded for Harry to continue. "Ginny did something drastic about ensuring that no one would question or dispute our marriage to her. She and I had a long talk while you were off at the lecture this afternoon. She convinced me despite my doubts that I should prove that I want this marriage just as much as you and her do."

"What are you trying to say Harry?"

"I guess I'm asking if it was okay with you that we take care of that last barrier to our not having to defend ourselves to anyone?"

Hermione just nodded solemnly and hugged Harry about the neck. "That would be fantastic Harry; I've been thinking of a way to ask or talk you into doing that with me. I know how much you've hated the thought of hurting me but this is so important."

"I know Nonnie and believe me I'm not relishing this. Cancel that thought-that was not what I meant. I think making love to you will be fantastic but making irreversible changes to your body is a little daunting. But would sometime during the cruise be okay with you? I wouldn't dare do anything like this if we're under the same roof as Ginny's parents."

Hermione nodded again and finally found her voice. "I've done some research…"

"Doesn't surprise me a bit" Ginny said. She brought Hermione's clothes over to the bed. She sat next to Harry and kissed Hermione's hand and rubbed her back gently.

"You idiot, I love you too. What I was going to say is that there are things we can do to help loosen things up a little. If Harry doesn't mind me being on top, I'll be in charge and set the pace for our little adventure."

Ginny waved her hand in front of Harry's face. It had got all goofy looking when Hermione volunteered to be on top of Harry. She stuck her finger in his ear and he shook himself like he had just woken up. "Sorry about that; just thinking…."

Hermione giggled and pushed off from Harry to stand up. "I really need to change and get across the hall. You two entertain yourselves for a bit. Ginny asked for me to come back here for the main attraction."

"Huh?"

Hermione looked at Ginny and she squirmed just a bit. "She didn't get around to her birthday request Harry?"

"Hermione, it's okay. I don't want anything special."

Hermione finished throwing a top on over her jeans and putting her trainers on. Ginny tried directing Hermione toward the door but she broke free and came back and whispered in Harry's ear. "You're going to get very lucky tonight Harry. Ginny wants you to fully explore her bum tonight but she wanted me to be here to make sure everyone got all lubricated up so it didn't hurt much. I'll be back so don't start that without me." Hermione was out the door with a kiss to Ginny before she turned back to look at Harry.

Harry was frozen on the bed. His face was sort of stuck between disbelief and panic. Ginny carefully sat on the Harry's lap and tried to get his attention.

"That was going to be your request Ginny?"

"Not anymore. Yes I was going to ask because I knew you would never dare push me or Hermione about something so unusual. I know you like playing with my tush and I'll admit I've gotten quite fond of you doing that to me. Hermione's also quite curious about it too so I hope you don't mind if she comes back to share with us. If you would like to still honor my request, that is."

Harry's face was very, very red. "It's been quite a day Vixen. This has probably been the biggest surprise of all of them."

Ginny smiled and kissed her husband on the forehead. "The day isn't over yet Mr. Potter; maybe you ought to properly deal with your tux before you improperly deal with me."

Harry smiled and kissed Ginny thoroughly about her face. "I will say this Ginny; when you have an idea, you have an idea. Think I can try counting freckles again?"

Ginny laughed and pushed Harry back flat on the bed to begin snogging him. It had been a wonderful birthday that only promised to get better.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26 – Cruising to a Finish

Harry sat on the balcony just staring off into the early evening sky. It was the last evening of their week on the Bella Mer and they would be arriving back in Venice early in the morning. Hermione was having supper with her parents at the insistence of her spouses. Harry and Ginny had stayed on shore in the town of Split after Hermione and her parents returned to the ship after their guided tour.

Harry and Ginny were curious about the zoo that had been mentioned by their guide during the tour. They had taken a taxi to the attraction that was located on one of the major hills of the metropolis. The zoo had not only provided a nice display of animals but was located next to a restaurant that had a wonderful scenic view of the shipyards and waterfront promenade that encircled part of Riva harbor. The two had finished a fabulous meal with just enough time to return to the ship before it raised anchor for the overnight trip back to Venice.

Harry looked through the open door to see that Ginny was lying on the bed writing in her diary. Harry was glad to see that she was trying to keep current and had set aside a bit of each day to chronicle their activities. Harry knew Ginny would probably let Hermione or him read the diary and he was a little curious if she recorded the highlights of the last four or five days with quite the same degree of wonder as he thought of them.

[FLASHBACK]

- Ginny's initial birthday request had proved quite pleasurable for the both, make that the three of them. Ginny had shared her side of the experience with Hermione and both ladies agreed it was a different but satisfying way to share their bodies with their husband. Harry had made it known to both Hermione and Ginny that they would have to ask or initiate any sort of sex like that in the future. They had both understood that Harry somehow felt like it was something that was done solely for his pleasure despite the Ginny's reassurance of her own satisfaction.

- Athens, Greece was a wonderful stop on their cruise. The day started at eight o'clock in the morning and was full of history and sights about the capital city of Greece. The sheer size of the vista that they saw from the cruise ship had Hermione bemoaning the fact that they only had about 12 hours to try and experience everything. The Potters decided to go on one of the 3 hours tours that were available while her parents went on a longer bus tour with some friends they had made.

Ginny was very impressed by the sight of the Acropolis and Parthenon and Harry and Hermione were happy to point out all the different styles of architecture that they saw along the tour. The three returned to the bus center in time for a quick lunch at one of the local restaurants and discuss what they wanted to do with their afternoon. Between the three of them a tentative mix of parks, museums and other sights would guarantee them a busy afternoon. Although they tried to pace themselves, the pace of trying to cram as much as they could into a few hours got to the trio.

Harry was thinking about all the things they had already seen during their day but asked the taxi driver to pull over as he saw one sign that might offer them a small breather. Ginny asked what a planetarium was but was hustled by Harry and Hermione through the entrance into a moderate size room that had very comfortable chairs. The chance to get off their legs for a bit made the sit down welcome but Ginny was surprised as the lights dimmed in the room and the chairs reclined so she was almost lying horizontal. A show started and Ginny was amazed at the sights that were displayed on the ceiling. The three sat back in wonder and watched a show called "A Tour of the Cosmos" that was narrated in English through some headphones attached to the chairs. Hermione explained to Ginny on the way out the muggle technology that made it possible to see incredibly far away phenomena and project it on any surface. Ginny thought it was something her Dad and the twins would like to see and Harry said that they might make a trip to the London planetarium with them before school resumed.

The rest of the afternoon and early evening was conducted at a less frantic pace and the three really enjoyed their visit to Athens. The three had a late supper on ship and watched the lights of the city fade a bit as they sailed away.

(Mature Part of Flashback)

- The next stop on their voyage was the city of Izmir, a huge port on the central west coast of Turkey. Harry had felt a little out of sorts when he had woken up and insisted that the girls go explore the city without him. They returned in the middle of the afternoon to find Harry taking a nap. Casting a silencing spell, Hermione and Ginny slipped out of their clothes and slipped into bed with their husband. Harry awoke a little while later to find himself surrounded by live nude girls.

A little while later Harry carefully woke up Ginny first and asked her a silent question about their slumbering wife. She nodded yes and carefully walked to the balcony and closed the curtains, reducing the light in the room. When she returned to the bedside Harry had begun kissing his way up to Hermione's mouth by way of her fingers to her wrist and then her arm. Hermione woke up and smiled down at the familiar sight of her husband's gorgeous green eyes. Harry skipped over her shoulder to plant a few kisses on the pulse points of her neck and felt the shiver that ran up and down her spine.

"The patient seems to be responding well to the treatment so far Doctor Potter." Hermione turned her head to see a naked Ginny holding her ankle and trying to count a pulse. "Heart rate steady but climbing, temperature just a little elevated. Ready to proceed to the next step?"

Harry snickered a bit but kissed Hermione's ear and sucked on her earlobe for a few seconds. "The patient seems awake and responsive to all forms of stimulation. Proceed with the next step nurse."

Hermione was trying to figure out what was going on with the two of them but a tongue applied to the inside of her knee made her jerk suddenly at the sudden contact. "Reflexes just wonderful, doctor."

"Carry on then."

Her 'nurse' continued sliding her hands up one of her legs while Harry turned his attention southward. Hermione gave a sigh when Harry's lips nibbled at a nipple and his hand hefted her other breast and massaged it with his palm. Ginny's mouth was now kissing its way up the inside of her thighs and Hermione was losing the fight to stay calm and rational. She could feel herself getting very damp and responding to the attention by her spouses.

"I think you need to check this down here doctor. The patient seems to losing fluids at an alarming rate."

"Well, we'll just have to change ends then nurse. Take over the checking of her chest but don't ignore her pupils or breathing rate." Hermione was about to laugh but the sudden appearance of Ginny in front of her face and the thorough kissing she got from the girl drove that thought completely from her head. Harry's mouth continued southward and he sucked on the pulse he found next to her hip for an intense second or so. Hermione's legs thrashed briefly on the bed of their own accord and she hoped fervently that she wouldn't kick or knee her husband in a sensitive spot.

Harry continued his 'examination'. "You were right nurse. There are a lot of fluids down here. What is the correct procedure for an unspecified discharge of this type?"

"I'm pretty sure it should be tested to make sure it's not poisonous and a hazard to either the patient or the medical staff."

Harry grinned and looked up from where he laid between Hermione's thighs. "I'm sorry Miss Granger but our medical lab is closed today. The only alternative I can offer is something a little extreme. I need your permission to take a more hands on approach and taste these fluids myself to see that they are not hazardous."

Hermione was starting to get into the role playing scheme. "You have my permission Doctor… Potter. I wouldn't want anything coming out of me to pose a risk to anyone."

"Very well then. Nurse you may want to brace the patient; this might induce a violent reaction."

Ginny leaned down and pressed her hands into the brunette's chest and rubbed her globes. Hermione closed her eyes and waited a little expectantly. Dr. Potter went about his taste test and Hermione bucked a little as Harry used his lips and tongue to thoroughly collect, taste and analyze the escaping fluids.

Hermione's eyes were semi-glazed by the time Harry raised his wet face from the meeting of her legs. "I can vouch this is definitely not toxic in any way but I do have this fear it may be very addictive. I really want to keep doing this. There's a slight hint of safflower and heather if I'm not mistaken."

"Are you sure about that diagnosis doctor?"

"You're welcome to verify my findings nurse." Ginny winked at Hermione and kissed her briefly before changing places with Harry once again. Harry slid up to hold Hermione and kissed her soundly on the lips. "And how is my patient doing now?" he asked.

"I'm just wonder…ooh, that is so good right there nurse. I'm doing ve..very well doctor but was wondering what, mmmm, this examination is leading up… up… Oh my, up to?"

"I was informed that you were seeking a very specific injection for a medical condition you wanted rectified. As such, you do need a thorough checkup to prepare you for what you are about to receive."

"Harry do you really want… OH Ginny!... really want to do this now?"

Before Harry could do more that nod, there was a report from the other person in the room.

"You were right doctor. I'm pretty sure about the safflower but I think I tasted jasmine instead of heather. But the fluid output has increased - a lot. She may be in danger of getting dehydrated."

"I'll take a good look into that and see what I can do about reducing the flow." Harry was about to kiss his way back down Hermione's body but she grabbed his hand suddenly.

'_**You two are torturing me but I love every second of this. What does Ginny taste like to you… Doctor?'**_

'_**Meadowsweet with just a touch of lobelia. You?"**_

'_**Linden and myrrh.' **_

Harry licked Hermione's nose after their brief exchange and Hermione laughed in spite of the wonderful feelings that were being generated below her waist. A medical consultation was going on as the doctor and the nurse discussed her 'condition'. "I think doctor we need to get to the source of this leakage and stop it before the patient becomes seriously ill."

"I attempted to lap it all up with my tongue but that just seemed to aggravate the problem." The two medical professionals were talking while they continued to run their hands over Hermione's body. She flinched once or twice from the contact and sensitive spots they found and were paying attention to.

"I found this bright pink button right here while I was investigating everything else. Do you suppose it's an on and off button for her fluids?"

"I'm not sure nurse but we ought to investigate every possibility thoroughly." Hermione bit her lip to keep from totally screaming out when Harry began softly touching her where he had licked her before. Ginny had moved up to kiss Hermione and see her reactions to Harry's efforts. Hermione had an increasingly difficult time remaining quiet as Harry lightly stroked and blew on her little bundle of nerves.

Hermione had just about reached her peak when Harry suddenly stopped moving his fingers. "That's not good; she just keeps getting wetter. I don't think it's an on and off button at all."

"I bet you it's just an on button then!" Hermione was desperate for either one of them to finish her off properly but Ginny latched on to her mouth and snogged her with a full body press. Hermione could feel the points of Ginny's chest rub against her own and thought she might faint from the love she was feeling from her mates. _**'I really love the both of you.'**_

'_**Right back at you Nonnie.' **_

"Nurse, I'm going to reach in and see if I can touch the source of this leak. Is the patient doing okay?"

"I think the patient is doing very well doctor. Do you want to answer the doctor's question Miss Granger?"

"I… oh..sweet mercy above… question.. must answer the mmm, answerrrgh. You two are bloody marvelous. Is that three fingers in me now Jamie?"

Harry smiled at Hermione's gasping attempt at speaking and slowly stopped and withdrew his fingers. He came up on the bed and clung to Hermione's side and kissed her lips. "No more doctor or nurse now Nonnie. Time for you to take charge of what we're doing."

Hermione fought to calm her heartbeat down a little and think clearly. She saw that Ginny was edging off of the bed and stopped her before she totally left. "Please stay with us, Ginny. I want to share this with you like you shared the other night." Ginny came over to hug Hermione and watched as Harry turned to lay flat on his back. From the looks of the condition he was in, Ginny was sure that he wasn't going to last much longer before he exploded himself.

Hermione smiled and summoned her wand from the dresser. She pointed it at herself and murmured a quick couple of words. Harry saw a soft yellow glow come from her stomach area. "Anti-pregnancy spell; Madame Pomfrey thought it important to teach us." Harry nodded and watched as Hermione laid her wand down. Hermione kissed Harry very carefully before she threw a leg over his stomach to straddle him.

Ginny lay down close to Harry's side where she could watch their faces and the loving act they were about to perform. She felt a little uncomfortable watching this intimate moment between Harry and Hermione but knew that they both wanted her company and support.

Hermione laid down flat on Harry's chest and kissed his face many times. "I love you Harry." She turned her head a little to receive a kiss from Ginny before she rose up and scooted backwards just a little bit. She gasped and Ginny saw that Em was lying flat against Harry's stomach but was squarely in the right position between Nonnie's other lips. Hermione slid forward and backward once and Harry hissed and grabbed the sheets between him and Ginny real hard.

Hermione reached down to bring Harry's hands up to her chest. When she saw he had gotten the idea of massaging her there, Hermione reached down once again and brought EM up to a vertical position. Harry closed his eyes and both Ginny and Hermione knew he was fighting for some control to make this last more than a split second. Hermione move up just a little bit and then slipped down to cover the tip of Harry's member. She gasped but smiled at the feeling she was getting. She repeated her action twice more and Ginny was amazed as more and more of Harry slipped inside Hermione each time. Harry was watching her carefully and noticed the grimace that came when he felt himself bump up against an obstruction.

Hermione stopped moving totally and looked down at her husband. "Harry, there's a choice here. Slow or fast?"

"Don't overthink the situation Nonnie. You are totally in control of how this ends up. You know that we'll both be here for you either way."

Hermione nodded and raised herself up almost totally off Harry. She bit her lip and then plunged down suddenly. Ginny's mouth dropped as Harry's considerable length disappeared inside Hermione and she felt how Harry had filled Nonnie's depths. Harry's hips arched up totally off the bed and he cried out almost in synch with Hermione's yelp of pain. Hermione slumped over almost immediately with Harry still inside her but Ginny knew that Harry hadn't been able to hold himself back and he had spent himself thoroughly when Hermione had impaled herself on him.

Ginny saw the tears in Harry's eyes and knew he would feel guilty for a while for his actions and his "apparent failure" to hold off his response. She hugged him and quietly said he was wonderful before she slipped out of bed to find some warm washcloths and maybe a towel to help clean them up.

Hermione had no words to tell Harry how relieved and happy she was at that moment. When she glanced up and saw the sad look he had, she reached up with both hands to trap his face. "You are the most kind, gentle loving man I have ever met. Harry I'm proud and delirious to be your wife right now and I want to thank you for every second that we spend together. In every way. This was but one moment in time and we'll have many more to replace any bad feelings you may have about this one."

Harry wiped away a tear and brought his arms up to hug Hermione. "Those were nice words Nonnie but I'm afraid I may not remember them much later."

"Then we'll both keep saying them until you believe them." Ginny rubbed Hermione's back and kissed her cheek. Harry slowly deflated and slipped out of Hermione at that second and both groaned at the loss of the special contact. Hermione rolled carefully off of Harry and lay on her back. Ginny handed out warm washcloths and Harry and Hermione cleaned themselves off as best they could.

Ginny applied a general drying charm to the bed and its occupants but smiled as Harry jumped a little bit. "There are very sensitive bits up here Gin. Be careful. Hermione how bad does it hurt?"

Hermione leaned up on one elbow and kissed Harry very deeply. "I think the doctor and nurses examinations did very well in preparing and stretching me out. There's a deep ache but I'm not sure if's it's because of the damage or the extreme stretching I just underwent."

Harry blushed and stammered as Ginny roared with laughter. "You are a very big boy Mr. Potter but I don't think Nonnie is complaining. Should we all share a shower and take it easy for a bit?"

Hermione nodded and stepped out a little gingerly toward the bathroom. Ginny came up and slipped herself under one of Harry's arms and hugged him around the waist. "You're a wonderful husband and a fantastic partner Harry James Potter. Don't you dare feel guilty about this."

A very amused voice came from the older witch heading to the bathroom. "Harry, if I ever complain again about you giving me a hard time…"

Harry stopped and Ginny looked up at him a little anxiously. Harry hung his head and Ginny held her breath. Harry let go a belly laugh and threw the redhead over his shoulder and listened to her scream in delight as he walked to the shower.

(End of Adult Section of Flashback)

Xxxx xxx

After they had finished their shower together, Harry let the girls order room service and they had a quiet supper and finished it off with the last of Ginny's birthday cake. Harry called the waiter to pick up the empty tray and he was just leaving when Dee and Tony appeared at the door. "We were getting worried about you three. We haven't seen anything of you for the whole day. How about coming out for a little entertainment and tell us what you've been up to?"

Harry turned a panicked eye to Hermione but she just smiled and said they needed to change before heading out in public. She closed the door and quietly told her mates that she was okay to go for a little walk and sit and talk with her parents for an evening. They hadn't spent much time out of their room after supper other than a few walks so Ginny was looking forward to a new experience. Harry was keeping a careful eye on Hermione as they walked out together.

Dee and Tony let the way to the Cyprus Palms, the night club they had been having their dance lessons in. There was music coming from the loudspeakers when they arrived and the five found an empty table after a little searching. The place seemed crowded with people talking, dancing and enjoying themselves. Harry asked Ginny to go dancing and they had a nice dance or two before coming back to the table. The three Potters had all ordered sodas to drink while Dee and Tony had ordered some red wine. The music changed to a slower number and Hermione stood up and held out her hand for Harry. He smiled as she pulled him out to the dance floor with Dee and Tony following close behind. They only had a few seconds to enjoy the music together as the song stopped in mid-bar. The silence was a little confusing as Harry had wanted to talk to Hermione while they were dancing.

Harry and the others had just about regained their table when the curtains parted on a small stage adjacent to the dance floor. A man in a suit jacket and tie came out and introduced himself as Harold Hill. "Good evening ladies and gentleman. Our usual cabaret show will be postponed this evening. Instead you will first be entertained by renditions of popular songs by some of the most talented, brave or drunken performers on the Seven Seas. Yes, it's Karaoke Night again at the Cyprus Palms and I hope you will be kind and courteous to all the performers who signed up to sing for you tonight. To briefly go over the rules for this evening, we have a dozen acts or individuals that have signed up to entertain you. At the end of all the performances you will vote on the best one and the winner will get a marvelous trophy and the equivalent of 100 dollars of ship credit to spend any way they seem fit."

Ginny whispered over to the adults at the table. "What's karaoke?"

Tony replied quite seriously - "It's Japanese for publicly embarrassing yourself by song." Dee shook her head and corrected her husband. "There's a machine up on stage that plays the music but not the words to a song. The singers get to choose a specific song from the many they have stored in the machine and punch in a number to pick and start the song. The screen up there displays the song words in case the singer gets forgetful or the audience wants to sing along."

"This could be very good or very bad" Harry guessed.

"That's the entertainment factor Harry" Tony said laughing. "You might find someone with a wonderful singing voice doing something totally lame or somebody foreign trying to sing in English when they can barely speak it. I've seen grown men singing nursery rhymes and national anthems so wonderfully performed by little old ladies that it made me cry."

"Are you singing them Tony?" Ginny asked. Hermione and her parents broke up laughing at the idea. "The only way my Dad has carried a tune Gin is to pick up some of the sheet music for my flute. He's totally useless; Mom said she had to sing all the lullabies when I was younger as Dad's voice made me cry."

"I do have other, better talents" Tony said defensively and Dee leaned over to kiss her husband. Any further discussion was curtailed as Harold called out the first names on his list. A couple a few years older than Dee and Tony stood up from a couple of tables away and made their way to the stage. They made their choice very quickly and moved to the microphone and started singing a song in German. Harry thought it was very nice the way they harmonized together and while he didn't understand the song, it was done very well. He joined everyone else in applauding the couple when they finished.

The next person performing was one of a nearby table of Australian couples if Harry was any judge of accents. He made an effort at "Beat It" by Michael Jackson but he got marks for the effort more than the musical ability. His mates at the table had a wonderful time listening to him though and gave him a beer salute when he got back to his table. Harry laughed and looked back at the stage waiting for the next name or names to be called up.

Four ladies with slight French accents got almost everyone up on their feet and participating by singing a decent version of "Y.M.C.A." (Village People). Harry asked Hermione not to jump around so much during the chorus but she just laughed as she "spelled" out the letters with everyone. Harry laughed as one of the quartet did a cartwheel on her way back across the dance floor.

Everyone had settled back in the seat and were trying to catch their breath when Harold called out the next name. "Harry Potter." Shocked looks came from Hermione and Ginny and Harry was totally gobsmacked. He mentally asked his wives if they had submitted his name but they just shook their heads.

The call came out again from the stage. "Harry Potter?" Harry stood up hesitantly and got a round of applause. He quickly looked around to see if someone was pranking him but the only thing he saw was that Dee was trying to hide behind her restaurant menu. Harry fixed a smile on his face and paused as he walked by Dee's seat. He pushed the menu down with one finger to see his mother-in-law blushing furiously. Harry kissed her on the forehead and whispered a quick message. ("You do know I'm going to get even for this right?") Harry continued on before Dee could say anything back.

When he turned around at the stage Harry had to chuckle as he saw Ginny and Hermione both talking rapidly to the unhappy looking person who had signed him up. Harry looked through the songbook and found a song he wanted to sing and made his way up to the microphone. "I would like everyone here to thank my wonderful mother-in-law Dee for volunteering me tonight." That got a good laugh from everyone as Tony held up his wife's hand and Dee shrank down in her seat.

Harry punched in the number for a song and sent a quick message to Ginny and Hermione. _**'This is one of the songs that say what I feel for you both.'**_

The crowd in the Cyprus Palms watched the young man with the very messy black hair sit on the stool and opened his mouth to sing. The voice was that came out was deep, rich and very captivating. Hermione smiled after the intro as she knew what it was but it became one of Ginny's favorites on the spot. Hermione and Ginny _knew _Harry was singing this song just for them

_My friends wonder why I call you all of the time  
What can I say  
I don't feel the need to give such secrets away  
You think maybe I need help, no I know I'm right all right  
I'm just better off not listening to friends' advice  
When they insist on knowing my bliss  
I tell them this  
When they want to know what the reason is  
I only smile when alive, and I tell them why_

_(Because your kiss) your kiss is on my list  
(Because your kiss) your kiss is on my list  
Because (your kiss is on my list) of the best things in life  
(Because your kiss) your kiss is on my list  
(Because your kiss) your kiss I can't resist  
(Because your kiss is what I miss) when I turn off the light_

_I go crazy wondering what there is to really see  
Did the night just take up your time, 'cause it means more to me  
Sometimes I forget what I'm doing, I don't forget what I want, I want  
Regret what I've done, regret you? I couldn't go on  
But if you insist on knowing my bliss  
I'll tell you this  
If you want to know what the reason is  
I only smile when alive, then I'll tell you why_

_(Because your kiss) your kiss is on my list  
(Because your kiss) your kiss is on my list  
Because (your kiss is on my list) of the best things in life  
(Because your kiss) your kiss is on my list  
(Because your kiss) your kiss I can't resist  
(Because your kiss is what I miss) when I turn off the light_

_I really miss  
Ahhh, (Because your kiss) your kiss is on my list  
(Because your kiss) your kiss is on my list  
(Because your kiss is on my list) of the best things in life oh babe  
(Because your kiss) your kiss is on my list  
(Because your kiss) your kiss I can't resist  
(Because your kiss is what I miss) when I turn off the light  
(Because your kiss) your kiss is on my list  
(Because your kiss) your kiss I can't resist  
(Because your kiss is on my list) of the best things in life _ (1981- Hall and Oates)

Harry finished the song and thought for a second that the silence meant that nobody had liked it. It was when he stood up that the thunderous applause began. More than a few people were standing and whistling for him and Harry saw the four people at his table were clapping the loudest – although Dee was trying to hide behind Tony while doing it. Harry gave a small nod acknowledging everyone's applause and hurried back to the table to receive hugs from Hermione and Ginny. Dee was sitting with her head down at the table and Harry tapped her on the shoulder.

"I'm sorry Harry; the girls never told me you didn't like being volunteered or having surprises."

"It's partly my fault Harry" Ginny said. "When we were getting dressed up the other night, I told her we had all been so busy that we hadn't heard you sing or play your mandolin for a few weeks."

Harry sat down as the next person began singing up on the stage. "You're forgiven this time but I still owe you one."

"That's the mean mother-in-law right Harry? You wouldn't include me as a target would you?" Dee turned a surprised look at her husband's abandonment of her but Tony joined in with Harry laughter at the look on her face.

Ginny smiled at the older woman a little evilly. "You know, just having Harry threaten you and having you look over your shoulder for a bit will be revenge enough." Hermione leaned over to whisper that Harry wouldn't really prank her and Dee relaxed.

The rest of the acts performed, some well and some very bad. At the end of the performances Harry cast his vote toward the four French ladies as the best act. The waiters gathered up all the votes and there was a five minute wait while everyone had their votes counted. Drinks were replenished and almost everyone ordered some snacks from the bar.

To no one's surprise at his table, Harry was voted the best singer that night by the patrons of the Cyprus Palms. He reluctantly went up to receive an eight-inch high trophy and a gift certificate. The applause embarrassed him but with a look to his wives he gave into to the calls for an encore. Harry climbed back up on the stage and went through a zippy rendition of the 60's hit "Sea Cruise" for the crowd and even threw a little bit of an Elvis drawl after winking at his mother-in-law. Dee and Hermione laughed and hugged him when he returned to the table. Harry took a few more turns on the dance floor with Ginny and Hermione and then the three Potters took a nice stroll around the deck before returning to their room for a long session of kissing and cuddling.

- The entire next day was spent at sea as the Bella Mer headed back to the Adriatic and its final port of call. The last day wrapped up the floating lessons for everyone so there were two hour sessions with Ginny and Hermione for Harry. Harry was pleased by the fact that Hermione had lesser symptoms from her "experience' that Ginny had. He didn't know whether it had been the different 'care' Hermione had received beforehand or her own physical makeup.

Hermione had insisted in the morning that Harry have an extended snuggle with Ginny sometime during the day. Harry had reluctantly left Hermione with her parents after the lunch they all shared. He and Ginny had enjoyed nice hour and a half of snogging, snuggling and a little bit of fondling before Hermione returned to the room.

The girls then changed into their other bikinis to get a bit of sun out on their balcony. Ginny's suit was black while Hermione's was white. Harry had stared at the tiny pieces of cloth that the girls were calling swimwear and was glad that they hadn't worn them to the main pool. The girls swayed their hips at him as they walked out to the balcony and settled in a couple of chairs. Harry was dazed enough that he just had to ask the question. _**'I hope this is a sight reserved just for me.'**_

The girls nodded and then just removed their tops and turned their chairs to face the inside of the room. Harry was very content to just lay there watching his wives breath until Ginny asked if he could assist them by applying some sunscreen to their exposed parts. Never one to shirk a husbandly responsibility, Harry made very sure that their breasts were quickly and thoroughly covered.

After an early dress supper, Harry and the girls finally had a chance to apply the dance lessons that he and Ginny had been taking. The main deck had been cleared off and a 20 piece dance band was set up on a raised platform by the side of the main pool. There was a variety of different music and Harry and Ginny waltzed through a number of slow songs and even managed a passable Foxtrot at one of the quicker ones. Hermione was more than glad to spell Ginny out on the dance floor when she wanted a break and Harry had a nice time dancing with each of his wives. Dee and Tony also appeared for a while and Harry made sure that Hermione got to have a chance to enjoy a slow dance with her father while he took a turn with Dee.

The three Potters finally returned to their room around midnight and shared a quick shower before tumbling into bed and sleep.

[END of FLASHBACK]

Ginny finished writing in her diary and closed and fastened it up. She came out to the balcony and wormed her way into Harry's lap. "This sure has been an adventure."

Harry drew the redhead into a more comfortable position. "So how do you like living like the rest of the muggles?"

"I think it's not your usual day to day living but a fabulous vacation. I love spending some time with Hermione's parents and hope we can do it again someday. But to tell you the truth, I kind of miss my wand a bit."

"And your family too."

"You and Nonnie are my family now, well my primary family anyway. It's seemed weird not having Mum and the others around."

"That's going to change as of the first thing tomorrow morning Gin."

"We'll have them around almost exclusively for the next week Harry. Promise me that we'll find some way to have some time alone – just the three of us."

"I promise and I can probably arrange a bloke's night out if that would help if you wanted to spend a little time with Nonnie. It didn't seem like you got much of that while we were here."

Ginny kissed Harry on the cheek and smiled. "It's okay really; she and I have had enough time for ourselves. You've been very good about letting us kiss and carry on together when we wanted."

Harry chuckled. "I really don't want to interrupt you two when you're together like that. I know you get a lot of pleasure from each other." Harry lowered his voice and whispered into Ginny's ear. "Don't let it get around, but Em really likes watching you two get after each other."

Ginny laughed and turned to her husband. "That's just another reason for us to enjoy the encounters. It gives both of us a little thrill to know that you are watching and enjoying it also."

The two turned as the door to their room opened and Hermione entered from the hallway. Seeing her mates out on the patio Hermione just walked right through and pulled up a chair next to them. "Having a nice time?"

"Just sitting and talking about the trip and what we'll be doing tomorrow" Harry said. "How's Dee and Tony?"

"Both fine but Mom's a little weepy already. I sort of promised we'd be over for dinner right after we got back. They are going to miss the three of us."

"It's only a week after all. We'll bring them back something; think they would like a camel?"

Hermione busted out in laughter. "No! Something a little smaller perhaps. You're just too much some days Ginny."

Ginny smiled and leaned across Harry to kiss Hermione. "You wouldn't expect anything less, would you? Harry was just asking me if it was possible for you and me to 'entertain' him by having a snogging session?"

"I said no such thing" Harry declared. "But if you wanted to kiss and make out I certainly wouldn't try to stop you."

"Such a considerate husband" Hermione said as she stood. She kissed Harry and then Ginny. "Only on the condition that Jamie joins in before or during the cuddling part."

"I can agree to that" Harry said as he stood up with Ginny in his arms. They walked through the patio doors and Hermione followed behind them closing the curtains with a smile. Cruising was such a good idea. But then, anyplace the three of them could be together was great.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27 – Bill Gets a Surprise or Two

There was a silent flash of light and the three travelers stood in the main hall of the Potter home in Cairo Egypt. Well two stood while the third had slipped across the floor to knock down the two house elves that had been awaiting their arrival.

"Harry?"

"Lord Harry."

"Dobby is sorry that he couldn't catch the great wizard Harry Potter. Dobby will be better prepared next time."

Hermione was the first to fight off her fit of giggles so she was the one to go over and untangle the pile of Harry, Dobby and Tride. Ginny took a bit longer to stop shaking with laughter but she helped Dobby straighten up the grey and yellow striped cape he wore today.

Harry stopped staring at his feet like they had a personal grudge against him and said hello to the house elves. "Tride, it's nice to see you but I thought Canev was coming to be here for us."

Tride bowed again to Harry as he explained. "Canev was having one her spells of forgetfulness again so Knop asked if anyone else wanted to come here and serve you and your ladies. Dobby knew I didn't really know how to cook for humans but he offered to come along and teach me. So I was glad to volunteer."

"Thank you Dobby" Ginny said. "Is there any word of whether Llasol has delivered her elfling?"

"No Lady Ginny" Tride responded, "but the young one is due any time now. It will be a welcome addition to our community."

"Community?" asked Hermione. "I understand how Rettus and Knop would be looking forward the birthing but why…"

Harry broke in a little reluctantly. "Before we get into a deeper understanding of elven life, could we take a tour of the house first? We have a couple of concerns about where we're putting Ginny's family when they arrive here tomorrow."

Dobby chatted with Harry as Tride led the way around the three story house. The whole house probably could have fit into the main hall back at Potter Manor but Harry strangely liked the layout. The bottom floor contained a combination kitchen and dining room that was twice the size of the one the Weasleys had at the Burrow. There was also a living room and a semi-enclosed patio the led to a back yard that was small but shaded by palm and other types of trees. Harry saw that the whole house was surrounded with a six foot high stone wall with a single gate that lead to the front door.

The second floor was where most of the bedrooms for the house were. Three bedrooms and a decent size bathroom led off from a common area with a few couches and the stairway. Ginny and Hermione decided that the largest of the bedrooms could go to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Dobby transformed the twin bed in there to a suitable king size bed. Harry and Hermione worked a little bit of their own magic and curtains and linens were soon laid out and ready for their guests. Dobby transformed the beds in the other bedrooms into sets of double beds for the twins, Percy and Ron along with their beddings

The third floor of the house contained the master suite of bedroom and bathroom. The three had some long discussions about how many beds should be in their room in deference to the Weasleys view of the married trio. Ginny had pushed for one bed but Harry, in guessing what sort of reaction Molly Weasley might have, had asked Dobby finally to change the king sized bed into three single beds that they could quickly merge together every night.

A surprise waited for everyone on the roof. There was a four foot wall that formed an L shape around the center of the roof. Arranged within this wall were a table, and a number of chairs and couches. Hermione thought that it would be a place for a late supper or a place to lounge out at night. Small trees that shaded the furniture were planted in large pots and there was a small running fountain at the juncture of the wall.

The Potters were still looking around, pointing at some of the sights when there was a pop of someone apparating to the roof. "A fine bunch…" Before that statement was finished, the figure that had started to speak was stunned, bound, gagged, hoisted in the air and stunned again. Harry carefully walked over to check and see who had interrupted them. He was surprised to see a manikin in place of the wizard he thought spoke.

"Like I was saying…" Three wands and two elves spun at the word and more spells were aimed across the roof. Harry's was first and formed a shield around the person he recognized. Bill Weasley had cast his own shield this time but watched as a separate one caught the other spells that came from the two witches and house elves.

Ginny almost dropped her wand in shock as she realized what she had almost done. "Bill!" Ginny rushed over and into the arms of her eldest brother as Hermione explained who the wizard was to Tribe and Dobby.

Ginny came back holding her brother's hand and Bill congratulated them on their watchfulness. "I thought it might be a little bit of surprise coming here but I never expected that reaction."

"How did you know we arrived here?" Harry asked a little cautiously.

"Blame Mum. She gave me the address and the day you were appearing. I dropped a notice beacon up here last night. It goes off when more than one wizard or witch is in the building. It went off about 30 minutes ago and I stopped working for the day, changed and came here."

"There's no wards here? Harry!"

Harry spun and spoke quickly to Tride. "Portable paddock - to the outside walls; aerial precautions."

Bill looked up as something flashed into being around the house and quickly became invisible. He pulled out his wand and made a few passes with it. "That's pretty good for a start Harry; what is it?"

"We occasionally take in and heal magical creatures that find themselves at Potter Mansion. Sometimes they can't be moved so the elves put up a temporary pen to keep them confined until they are better. The aerial precautions keep flying predators out and creatures like hippogriffs from escaping until their healed. I suspect what Tride just formed will only let us in or out for the time being."

Both Tride and Dobby nodded at Harry's statement and Ginny and Hermione visibly relaxed. Bill offered to help put some better wards up for them but Harry thought they were okay for the time being. Hermione gave Ginny a mental nudge and she invited her brother downstairs so that they could catch up on all the changes they had been going through. Bill turned a curious eye to the other pair but Harry said that he and Hermione had to start unpacking. He knew Bill wanted to talk to Ginny alone and he understood. _**'You can tell him everything except our real appearance and our sleeping arrangement, okay?'**_

'_**Spoilsport. Okay but don't leave me down here all morning with him. He's pretty crafty**_.'

Harry and Hermione walked into their new bedroom and sat down on one of the bed facing each other. They made no move toward opening up their luggage or putting things away.

"Do you want me to put up some more wards or see what else Dobby or Tride can whip up?"

Hermione shook her head. "Sorry I panicked up there. I wasn't scared for myself but.."

"You didn't want anything to happen to me or Gin. I understand that because I was thinking the same as I was firing off that first stunner. I'm lucky I turned a fraction of a second sooner that everyone else did when Bill spoke again and I saw the red hair. Otherwise he was going to be blasted into the Nile, wherever that is."

Hermione chuckled. "Guess we need a small tour then before we do much else. Can't have you launching people into the desert when you wanted them drowning in the other direction."

Harry smiled back at her. "Exactly. I'm kind of glad Ginny's brother did show up however for a number of reasons. Protection was one thing I hadn't thought of; we'll talk to him later and get his opinion if other types of cautions are necessary. Ginny hasn't seen Bill for over a year so they can chat for a while and catch up; he's going to our guide for the most part while we're here. And I wanted to have a little chat with you."

"About what?"

Harry tilted his head a little sideways and stared at his eldest wife for a bit. Hermione blushed quickly and picked at a piece of lint on the bedspread. "Oh that."

"I had and still have a lot of questions but I don't want to press you. It was a pretty big step, don't giggle like that. It was a …significant event in our lives. I just wanted to know how you are doing."

Hermione moved over to sit next to Harry. "Physically I'm fine; I'm not even sore anymore. Mentally, I'm relieved that we got that problem out of the way and we shouldn't have to worry about any challenges to our marriage. Emotionally… I'm not sure."

Harry threw an arm around Hermione's shoulders and hugged her closer. "I'll listen without talking for a while. Just let me know what you're thinking."

Hermione rested her head on Harry's shoulder. "It was awful, the pain that is, but it was so wonderful at the same time. I'm not sure I've ever felt closer to you Harry then when it happened. There was just this wave of intimacy and rightness to the whole act. I wanted Ginny there to share that with us but I also wanted to be alone with you to try and tell you exactly how much I loved you for wanting me that way. Then there was this feeling of being stretched and filled so wonderfully that…"

Harry had put a finger over her lips to stop Hermione from any further descriptions. He was a little embarrassed at the praise and told her why. "Hermione I loved being with you like that but I'm sorry that I didn't make it better for you. I didn't last a second when you dropped."

Hermione lifted her head and kissed Harry briefly on the lips. "It wasn't about my pleasure a few nights ago but it was pleasurable for me. I came too you know."

"I wasn't aware of that."

"I didn't expect you would be. It wasn't a great big one but it was more an emotional release for me than a physical – does that make sense?"

Harry was blushing again. "Yes, I understand that part I think. When Ginny first got me off with her hands or you… used your mouth on me that first time, I could see the love, devotion and happiness in both your eyes. That meant more and caused more of a emotional reaction than what you were physically doing me."

Hermione got a humorous look in her eyes. "Are you implying that your wives aren't proficient in how we please you?"

"Definitely not. But it doesn't harm anyone to practice more does it?"

Hermione couldn't hide her smile any longer. "Yes, I like the way you and Vixen practice on me and I know we both try our best to make it good for you. I just wish…"

"Yes Nonnie?"

"I'm a little jealous of our future selves that will be able to make love like that all the time. I really want you in me more often now that I know what it's like. I also know it's going to be a while before we're going to let ourselves go like that. We've got school and that stupid prophecy in front of us."

Harry drew Hermione back closer. "I'm very aware of that. Unfortunately. But at least we have some other ways of expressing our affection for each other rather than going all the way."

"That sounded like a proposition Mr. Potter." Hermione reached for her husband. "Think Ginny and Bill will miss us for a while longer while we snog?"

Harry was smiling and reaching back for her when Ginny unfortunately called for them_**. 'Sorry for this but Bill says we need to go register at the Egyptian Ministry of Magic.'**_

"Timing.." said Harry.

"…it's almost always bad" finished Hermione as they got up laughing. They headed down stairs to see where Bill and they had to go.

Xxxx xxx

Because they were staying in Egypt longer than 72 hours, the three Potters were not classified as tourists but as foreign visitors. As such, they would have to report in to the Egyptian Bureau of Magic and register themselves and their wands.

Bill brought out a bag of floo powder as he wasn't sure if there was any that was still useful after so many years of sitting on the mantle in the Potter kitchen. Harry offered to pay for the powder but Bill told him to consider it a housewarming present for his sister. Harry told Tride and Dobby to finish provisioning the kitchen and to put away the clothes that they had sent ahead of them. Ginny clung to her brother's arm and then Hermione and Harry followed them through the floo to the Egyptian Ministry of Magic.

The Egyptian Ministry of Magic seemed to be about half the size of the Ministry Harry and the others had visited in London. They flooed into a common area that contained many exits but Bill pointed the way toward an office off the side of the reception hall. He opened the door that was marked "Documentation, Registration and Licenses" in English and Arabic. Harry, Ginny, and Hermione got into the one queue that said Foreign Registrations. Each in turn had to hand over their passport to the clerk behind the counter and their wand to have it measure and documented. The clerk looked up briefly as he saw Harry's name but just continued on with his job and put a magical stamp on his Gringotts provided passport.

After the three had been processed through that department Bill said that they had one more official stop to make. He led them to a pair of elevators that only went down. They all went into the elevator and Bill pushed the button for the second level down. "I'm taking you to meet the British Magical Ambassador. In case I'm not around and you need some assistant or are in a tight spot, you can contact him or his staff for help. He's actually not a bad bloke for a politician; he and his wife have been here for about six years."

"Why haven't I ever seen signs for Foreign Ambassadors in our Ministry?"

"They're put up in an entire different building than the Ministry Harry. Our illustrious leader, Minister Fudge doesn't think much of what foreign dignitaries think about how he runs his government so he ignores them as much as possible."

"That sounds about right from what I've seen of him." Hermione stopped suddenly after she said that as if she shouldn't have said that out loud. Bill laughed and made her feel better. "Ginny did say you were the brightest witch."

The Ambassadors offices were alphabetical so it was a bit of a walk to the offices labeled 'Great Britain'. Bill turned the door open and pushed Harry and the others through it. There were two desks with what Harry assumed were witches sitting behind them; an older witch with a grey streak through her black hair and a younger brunette that could have been Bill Weasley's age. The younger one stood up to greet the visitors and then smiled when she saw Bill.

"Bill Weasley, about time you came back in here." The pretty brunette came around the counter to give Ginny's brother a less than brief hug. Ginny waited a second and then 'accidentally' nudged her brother in the middle of the back to have him release the woman.

"Is this your family Bill? I thought they weren't scheduled in until tomorrow?"

"This is part of my family, Sally. Sally Forester this is my sister Ginevra, Ginny."

"Pleased to meet you." Sally held out her hand and Ginny cast a quick look at her brother before shaking it.

"And, believe it or not, this is her husband Harry; Harry Potter. The other attractive young lady is Mrs. Hermione Potter." Sally frowned and then gasped. "That Harry? You're in big trouble now mister. How dare you keep that information to yourself and not tell me or my husband this little fact of whom you have for an in-law?"

Ginny relaxed a little when she heard that Sally had a husband. She did notice that the older lady had stood up from her desk and went into the inner office when she heard Harry's name mentioned. Harry and Hermione had barely finished shaking Sally's hand before the older witch and an older distinguished looking man came back from the inner office.

Bill barely had time to introduce everyone to Darson and Gladwyn Ferventon before the ambassador almost shook Harry's hand off. "It's a real pleasure to meet you Lord Potter. We've read all the recent announcements in the Daily Prophet. If I had known you and your wives were coming I would have met you at the International Floo Point and welcomed you properly. Is there anything I might do for you and your ladies?"

Harry shook his head and tried to calm the older wizard down. "Please sir, it's just Harry and we didn't arrive here at the Ministry."

"Harry and his family have a small house of their own on the outskirts of Nasr City" Bill supplied. "They ported in this morning about 9 and I just brought them over to help them through the registration process."

"You didn't have any troubles up there with the paper pushers did you?"

"No sir, it was pretty straight forward for the most part."

"Good, it's probably a good thing that you didn't come through the Floo Point anyway. There's usually some photographers and reporters that just wait for something juicy to report. I'll assume you don't want to be followed around by that sort of attention."

"Harry, Ginny and Hermione came to see the sights and spend a little time with the rest of my family."

"That's understandable. I won't hold you up any longer then. It's been nice to meet you Lord and Ladies Potter; if you need any help with anything at all, please contact our office. Bill, you will bring the rest of your family around tomorrow won't you?"

"I'll consider that an order then Ambassador."

Ambassador Ferventon laughed but shook everyone's hand once again before returning to his office. Sally wrote a quick note and asked Bill to pass it along to her husband. While the foursome was waiting for the elevator to come back down for them, Bill explained that Carl Forrester was a fellow curse-breaker employed by Gringotts but was working a few different sites than he was.

As everyone got on the elevator, Bill looked at them and asked what they wanted to do next.

"Tour."

"Lunch."

"Gringotts."

Bill chuckled and roughed up Ginny's hair gently. "How about two of those three? Lunch and Gringotts and then we'll see about that tour."

Everyone got off of the elevator and Bill led the others back to one of the floos. "It's not quite as big as Diagon Alley but it functions just fine for the smaller magical community that's here in Egypt." Bill pulled a piece of paper put of his pants pocket and made sure everyone could pronounce the name before attempting the location. He reached out for a handful of floo powder and cast it on the hearth. He disappeared in the familiar green flames as he called out "The Wazir's Wadi".

Hermione followed immediately but Ginny held back a second and then reached out for Harry's hand. "Let's try to get there in one piece, okay?"

Harry grinned. "Are you sure you want to risk a broken ankle?"

Ginny leaned up and gave him a brief kiss to the cheek. "Always for you Harry." She grabbed up a handful of floo powder and threw it. After a few seconds of dizzying travel by a number of gates, Harry and Ginny emerged standing in the magical business center. Harry whispered thanks to Ginny for stabilizing him and they walked over to where Bill and Hermione were looking at the street of businesses and restaurants.

Harry let Bill pick out the restaurant as he was knew where the food was the best. He pointed to one that was nearby that served a variety of western and Arabic dishes. Everyone ordered something different so that they could sample each other's dishes. Harry chose a salad with curried lamb in it but the other three were a little more adventurous. Ginny had a seafood plate while Hermione settled finally on a vegetarian dish called Mahshi. It seemed to be sort of like a stuffed pepper with rice, vegetables, herbs and spices all cooked in a pot with tomato sauce and lemons.

Bill ordered a sandwich called Shawerma; it was shredded beef or pork in pita bread with savory herbs and a spicy sauce covering it. The waitress brought out a platter of assorted breads instead of salads as an appetizer. The four had a good time trying all the varieties they had as they waited for their dishes.

During lunch Bill kept most of his comments and questions aimed at his sister and Hermione. Harry knew that Ginny had written both her older brothers and kept them as up to date as best she could about school and the other things that were going on. He suddenly wondered if Riddle had allowed Ginny to write to anyone during the time she was possessed. It would make some of the questions that Bill was now asking a lot more less than casual.

A small collection of apple cakes served as desert for everyone and Harry sat back and wondered about the best way to proceed with the afternoon. He saw that there were a couple of benches about halfway between where they were and the building Gringotts was in. He asked the girls to go start their shopping as he and Bill needed to go to Gringotts and withdraw and exchange some money from their vault.

Ginny went and hugged her brother and asked him not to torture Harry "too much". Bill said he wasn't going to intentionally do anything that would make Ginny mad at either of them. Hermione dropped a kiss to the top of Harry's head and headed for the building that was labeled as a bookstore.

"Well, are we talking in Gringotts or someplace out here?" Harry asked.

"I've got a small office in Gringotts that I use while I'm in town. Let's go there and talk for a bit. Ginny did a bit of talking with me this morning and I just wanted to double-check with you about some questions I couldn't ask her."

"OK Bill_**." 'In case you were listening in Ginny, Bill wants to talk to me –alone.'**_

'_**I was afraid of that. Sorry love. Want me to come back?'**_

'_**No but thanks for the thought. I just hope it's not going to get too personal.'**_

'_**He wouldn't dare!'**_

'_**Later Gin.'**_

Bill and Harry had been walking toward Gringotts while Harry was 'talking' to Ginny. Harry followed Bill through the main doors and a couple dozen short passageways in the bank before they got to a really small office. It was so small Harry had to sit down before he had room enough to close the door behind him.

After Harry sat down, Bill opened up one of the drawers of his desk and pulled out two bottles and a couple of shot glasses. He sat everything down on top of the desk and looked at Harry. Harry saw there were was a bottle of Ogden's Firewhiskey and bottle labeled Glenfiddich Scotch. Bill took another look at Harry and put the Firewhiskey back in the drawer. "Your wife will hex both of us into the ground if I let you have that."

Bill poured out about a half-inch of the Scotch into each of the two glasses and pushed one across the desk to Harry. Harry picked it up and stared it cautiously. Uncle Vernon had a bottle of Scotch at home but only brought it out for special occasions or important clients; Harry hadn't like the smell much.

"To your health Harry." Bill clinked his glass with Harry's and downed it with one swallow. Harry tried to follow but the smell of the alcohol limited his swallow to half of what he had. The scotch burned his throat on the way down and he immediately started coughing. Bill laughed as he saw tears come to Harry's eyes and he pulled the glass back toward him.

"It's a tradition to toast the new groom and I'll not tell Fred and George how you reacted to the booze. Considerate a gift from your new brother-in-law."

"A simple congratulations would have worked just as well" Harry said a little anxiously. He couldn't read Ginny's brother very well. He wasn't sure if he was being welcomed to the family or tested.

"Yes but where's the fun in that? I could have pushed the Firewhiskey on you but I like you Harry. And it's obvious that Ginny loves you very much. I'm not going to pretend I understand or approve of how you and she and Hermione all ended up married but it's done now and I'm not going to waste my time trying to object to it. I just want your word that you'll protect her and care for her."

"You want a wizard's oath or is my word good enough?" Harry was surprised that he swayed a little when he stood up; it was only a little bit of scotch. He would make sure he stayed away from hard liquor until he was much older.

Bill stared at the resolute figure in front of him and just nodded. "Your word is good enough for me; I'm not going to be the one to face Firefly's temper if you screw up. That being said I shouldn't have to tell you what you'll face from me and the others if she gets hurt in any way."

Harry nodded and sat down. "I'm being very careful; I've got two wives to keep happy after all."

Bill chuckled and took the rest of Harry's scotch away from him. He banished the contents of the glass and transformed the two glasses into glasses of water with a wave of his wand. "So how does one kill a basilisk that's 58 feet, 2½ inches long?"

Harry swallowed some of the cold water before answering. "You need a lot of help and good reflexes; you especially need a phoenix and a very,very sharp sword."

Bill and Harry spent the next half hour talking about everything from his adventures in the Chamber of Secrets to Potter Manor. Bill never pressed for any personal details of Harry's married life and Harry was glad that his brother-in-law was not putting the mickey to him. They actually got along very well and Harry was almost sorry he had to remind Bill that there were two young ladies out shopping without them.

Bill led Harry back out to the main foyer of the bank and watched as Harry withdrew some funds from his account and had them converted into Egyptian pounds. Harry was glad to see that the foreign money was written in English but Bill explained on the way out of the bank that money came in both English and Arabic versions. Hermione was sitting on one of the nearest benches reading a book but it looked like Ginny had been pacing for a little bit. She came running when she saw her brother and Harry and kissed Harry quickly. She made a face when she smelled a trace of the scotch on Harry's breath and turned on her brother.

"Just a welcoming to the family toast" Bill explained under the glare from his sister. Harry confirmed that he only had about half a shot as Hermione came up holding a half dozen bags and boxes. Ginny relented a bit but told Bill she was going to keep an eye on him.

"Would you make sure your wife has other, better things to do Harry?" Harry nodded and picked Ginny up and swirled her around once; she laughed and hit Harry gently until he released her.

Harry called out for Dobby and the house elf popped in and took the bags and parcels home to stow away. Bill led the way out of The Wazir's Wadi through a stone wall that swung open like a gate. The foursome emerged from a long narrow alleyway to find themselves in an open air market. Telling everyone to watch their step and their purses, Bill led them out of the marketplace and to a house on top of a small hill. He walked up the outside stairs to the roof with the other three following him.

Harry thought the house had a nice view of the city. It seemed the person that Bill had led them to was in the midst of a grand washing day. Sheets of different sizes as well as clothes and rugs with fancy designs hung from a variety of lines that covered about half the roof. The other half had a bunch of rugs of various sizes that were drying flat on the roof.

Harry saw that Bill had found the person who owned the wash and was talking to him. He handed the person a small bunch of bills and the person followed Bill back to where they were staying.

"This is Salah Dessouki. Sal, this is my sister Ginny and her friends Hermione and Harry. Sal is going to be giving us a tour around Cairo this afternoon."

Sal shook Harry's hand and bowed to Hermione and Ginny. Hermione asked where they were going to start the tour and Sal pointed back to the corner of the roof where the stairs were. Harry walked over and started down the stairs but Sal spoke out and called Harry back. Harry walked back to where everyone was and saw that Bill had sat down and was taking off his shoes.

Ginny finally asked what was happening and Sal said he was going to give them a traditional tour. Bill asked everyone to take off their shoes and he placed his next to the stairway. He followed Sal over to one of the rugs and sat down.

A little confused Harry and the girls did as Bill requested them. Bill had a funny grin on his face when he asked everyone to sit beside him. The three had barely settled when Salah waved his wand and the whole rug floated off the roof. Hermione latched onto Harry's arm quickly as Bill explained that this was one of the two places in Cairo that still offered guided tours by flying carpet. Sal started his descriptions as everyone faced forward and got comfortable. Ginny had let out a whoop as the carpet gained altitude and slid over to hug Bill's arm and kiss his cheek.

The tour of Cairo took a couple of hours and once Hermione got used to the openness of the mode of travel she settled down and enjoyed the sights. Sal took a spiraling route as he pointed out the different areas of the city and locations of interests.

The flying carpet made one pass down the Nile River in town and the three Potters were amazed at the variety and sizes of the watercraft. The waterway was a jumble of various boats from simple one man fishing boats, to barges and even some smaller ships that just took tourists up and down the river for day and week-long cruises. Bill said the city was a curious mixture of past, present and future Egypt as they skirted along the edge of the national airport that was landing huge jet aircraft every few minutes.

Sal flew outside the city and let Bill takeover talking as they flew over to Giza and the pyramids. Harry and the others felt pretty insignificant as the saw the actual size of the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx itself. Bill said he was working in a nearby valley that was concealed from the regular tourists and that they would spend a day out there when the rest of the Weasleys arrived. There was not much left to see after the sights of the pyramids and Sal directed the flying carpet back to the rooftop they left from. Harry tipped Salah after they landed and he thanked them for the business.

Since Harry and the others didn't know how to apparate yet, Harry called for Tride and the house elf transported the four of them back to the Potter house. Harry brought some butterbeers out for everyone as they sat out on the patio and talked until suppertime.

Dobby prepared an excellent supper for the four humans and told everyone that Tride would begin preparing meals under his supervision in the morning. Bill had a word of caution for both Dobby and Tride however; he told them both that his mother, Mrs. Weasley, would probably try to take over the kitchen while she was visiting them. Harry and Ginny told the house elves that they would try to remind Ginny's mother that she was on vacation and didn't have to cook for everyone. Dobby promised he would try to assist "Mrs. Wheasy" if she insisted.

Bill stayed visiting until about 8 o'clock and excused himself as he said he had to do the evening close-down check at the dig site. It was something the goblins insisted on as they didn't want anyone wandering in and accidentally disturbing the site or intentionally stealing the artifacts that they were unearthing.

Ginny and Hermione both gave Bill a hug before he left the house and thanked him for a wonderful day. Harry was a little unsure of how to say goodbye to his new brother-in-law but Bill just clapped him on the shoulder. Bill said he would be back at 10 in the morning so they could all go over to the Egyptian Ministry to meet the rest of the Weasleys together. Everyone walked Bill out and Tride lowered the temporary barrier for a second so that the eldest Weasley could apparate away.

After Bill left, Harry and the girls went up to the roof to watch the stars come out and enjoy the cooling wind that seemed to come from the direction of the river. Hermione found that one of the casual couches could lay flat like a futon so Ginny conjured up some light blankets to cover the three of them when they laid down and talked about their experiences of the day and the upcoming reunion with the rest of the Ginny's family.

Harry wasn't exactly sure how the company would affect their privacy for the rest of the week they would be in Egypt. The girls and him made sure that they got plenty of quality kissing in until they decided to move down to the master bedroom. If Tribe or Dobby heard any giggling or contented sighs coming from the Potters floor, they gave no indication to each other.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28 – An Eventful Day for All

_It was not yet the time the muggles called the Witching Hour; stupid vermin to believe that wizards and witches could only work their magic at or after midnight. A cloaked figure waited for him in a secluded corner of the cemetery. Wormtail had pressed his wand to the Dark Mark on his arm and I had appeared a minute later. I had come alone because there was only one reason for the summons; my very humble follower had news or the location of the Potter family. Pettigrew had fallen to his knees when I appeared and had simply said he could lead me to what I had been searching for._

_The disgusting lumpy wizard reeked of fear and regrets as he made his report. It was something that I greatly enjoyed- the fear of others. I could taste it; just my presence brought obedience and terror from others. The feeling was almost as delicious as taking my follower's power through the Dark Mark. Tonight would be doubly rewarding for me; I would disprove a false prophecy and kill some of my enemies._

"_You have done well Peter. No one has served me better in bringing this information. You're reward shall be to witness my triumph tonight as I kill the Potters and their child that this silly prophecy talks of. I will then hang the child's dead and lifeless corpse where everyone can see what opposing Lord Voldemort leads to."_

_The poor excuse of a wizard raised his head from the ground. "I am but a poor and humble servant my lord. Surely you have other followers more deserving.."_

"_Silence you fool! Bellatrix and the others will continue their search for the Longbottoms. You will lead me to the doorstep of the ones that have continued to oppose me so foolishly. Dumbledore and his followers of the 'Light' will see the error of their ways soon enough and bow down before me. Now, where are they?"_

_Wormtail turned and walked out of the nearest gate of the cemetery. I glided silently after him. The streets were deserted at this hour of the night and only a few lights were lit in the scattered houses. Even the creatures of the dark seemed to have vanished this Halloween; the light would bring a start of a new day. But I knew that only my deed would be on everyone's mind and heart. 'Auror indeed. Hardly a match for the greatest wizard in the world.'_

_The wizard named Peter Pettigrew stopped finally. He opened the front gate of the picket fence and stopped. "Here it is Lord. 3 Penny Lane, Godric's Hollow; the cottage of James and Lily Potter."_

_I sneered at the betrayal. I pushed Pettigrew on the shoulder to turn him toward the door. Peter shuddered faintly but allowed his steps to move forward. The fear increased in the coward as he approached the door; I watched the door with intensity. It would be just moments until one of my greatest victories._

_Pettigrew knocked twice on the door and a light appeared in an upstairs room. We could hear footsteps coming down the stairway and I grasped my wand. The door opened and a sleepy voice spoke out to the figure in the light. "Peter, there's news? Have you heard…"_

_The eyes shifted to me and the man with the messy dark hair and glasses threw the door shut with a bang. I blew the door off the hinges with a silent 'Bombardo' spell and entered the house._

_James Potter yelled out some warnings as he fired his wand at me. "Lily take Harry and go. It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold hit off-" (JK Rowling, Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 13)_

_James Potter cast a number of spells at me. But I had the greater magic and better shield and blocked every shot. I cast the wizard off his feet and was surprised to see the man stand unsteadily. "You cannot have him!"_

_I hexed him again. And laughed._

_James Potter crawled to the foot of the stair under my watchful eye. There was a cry of a baby coming from upstairs and that was quietly hushed by a female's voice. I looked back again to see a wand pointed at my heart. "You shall not pass while I stand."_

"_As you ask for it, so shall you receive your just reward. Avada Kedavra!" _

_A green flash of light and the killing wind burst from my wand and went completely through Potter's shield, hitting and immediately killing…"_

"Dad! Noooo! Run Dad! Hide - no he's dead he's deadhe's deaddddd!"

Harry screamed shrilly as the force and power of the memory/dream hit him and woke him up. He startled both Ginny and Hermione totally off the bed. They heard the absolute shock and despair in his voice and scrambled hurriedly back up from the floor to try and hold their husband. He fought them briefly as his arms flailed in horror and his brain refused to move beyond the point of seeing his father die. It took both girls' combined weight to force Harry to lie flat on the bed where he instantly curled into a ball crying horribly.

It was the better part of five minutes before Harry realized that the weight and pressure on his front and back were Ginny and Hermione. They had been whispering quietly and sending him mental reassurances of how they loved him and that he was protected. Harry took a deep breath and tried to calm his racing emotions. That unfortunately brought on another flash of seeing his father being killed and he broke down crying again. Hermione rocked him silently as Ginny slipped out of bed to get dressed; it was not a time for Harry to be around naked wives with all those distractions.

Ginny was back a few minutes later to find Hermione was still rocking a sleeping Harry. She slipped into bed and shifted Harry onto her lap while Hermione went and took a quick shower, dressed and returned. The two girls watched a twitching husband gradually relax and his face finally lose its tortured and pained expression.

It was forty-five minutes later when Harry slowly awoke to the mental conversations between his two wives. They had gone on from his screaming to the more mundane subjects of breakfast and the upcoming invasion of Weasleys. Harry had a memory of screaming himself out of the nightmare that was his past.

'_**Sorry and good morning. That was NOT the way I wanted to start my and your day.'**_

Ginny's hand ran through his hair and scalp and Hermione's rubbed his chest. "It wasn't anything deliberate and if you want to talk about it – we're here. And if you don't, that's ok too."

"Maybe later, if neither of you mind. Do 'we' have any plans for the morning?"

Hermione leaned over and kissed Harry. "A few more of those all around for starters I think. Let's try breakfast on the roof and see how Tride's cooking lessons have been going. Oh, and a small fashion show; Ginny's doesn't have a clue what to wear to meet her folks later so we'll probably see her complete wardrobe before we head over to the Ministry."

Harry chuckled and reached a hand up and back to find Ginny's face. "They'll be happy to see you no matter what you wear Gin. It's only been a week or so after all."

"But things have changed so much since we left." There was a distinct catch and a tinch of panic in Ginny's reply. Harry turned over and found that Ginny's eyes were wide and she looked nervous. He moved so that he was sitting beside her and put an arm around her shoulders. Hermione came up and sat on her other side.

"So what's got you in a dither so early this morning? Besides my lunacy?" Harry asked. Ginny bit her lip just a bit and looked back and forth between her best friends. "It's silly but…"

"What?" prompted Hermione.

"I just know… Mum's going to take one look at me and know that I'm … that we…oh, you know what I'm getting at."

"That you're not the same little girl who left Potter Manor nine, no ten days ago?"

"Yes."

Harry smiled gently. "You'll always be Arthur and Molly's special girl – no matter where you are or what has happened to you."

"Do you think so?"

Hermione snuggled in on Ginny's other side. "I can't think of anyone else's parents that so openly love all their children than your parents Ginny. It'll be ok."

"But what do I say when Mum asks…"

"She best not ask then. Hermione, did you tell Dee what you and I did?"

"Gracious no!"

"And why?"

"Because it's very personal and none of her business any more since we are legally adults. Ginny, if your Mum starts badgering you about it, don't answer."

"Or tell her to ask me to my face" Harry said.

Ginny turned laughing and hugged her husband. "You are either the bravest or most foolhardy man I have ever met Mr. Potter."

Harry face lit up in a wide grin. "Funny. That's exactly what Remus Lupin said when I told him I had two wives."

The three Potters collapsed on the bed laughing for a long time at that statement.

Xxxx xxx

By the time 10 o'clock rolled around Harry had recovered at least physically from his terrifying morning wakeup. Ginny had finally decided on wearing a simple sundress that everyone had seen her in and Hermione had decided on which book to bring with her in case they were held up somewhere along the way. Bill Weasley arrived promptly at 10 by floo and Ginny felt a little more confident about her outfit after seeing her brother. Bill had decided to dress up a little bit by trading in his shorts and work shoes for some lightweight trousers and snakeskin boots. "Not quite up to basilisk boots like yours Harry, but I did kill the vipers myself."

Hermione had scrunched up her nose when she saw the boots but Ginny thought they worked well with Bill's ponytail and earring. Harry asked if Bill wanted anything to eat but he said he already had a big breakfast as clearing the rest of the Weasley family through the Egyptian Ministry might take some time. Bill flooed away first followed by Ginny, Hermione and then Harry. Harry had a successful transit this time and just shook his head as Ginny reached into her pocket to pay Hermione. Bill gave a quizzical look at the transaction but Harry said it was a long standing wager as to whether Harry took out anybody when he arrived by floo.

When they checked into the Ministry visitor center they were informed that only two people were allowed to go to the International Floo Point to meet incoming travelers. Harry didn't even try to argue the fact but told Bill and Ginny that he and Hermione would be waiting for everyone outside the Registration Office they had visited before. Ginny gave Harry a kiss, Hermione a hug and then hurried to catch up to her brother.

The two found a long comfortable bench with a reasonable view in both directions and Hermione opened up her travel bad and pulled out a book on _Intermediate Transfigurations. _It was required reading for fifth years but Hermione said it was never too early to read ahead. Harry was going to try to catch a quick nap but every time he closed his eyes, the murder scene came right back to his memory.

Hermione finally sensed Harry's unease and closed her book. She turned to hold Harry's hand with hers.

'_**Anything I can do love? Fetch a soda? Rub your head? Rub anything else?'**_

Harry frowned briefly and cocked his head a little sideways._** 'No but thanks for the suggestion. You can be a very wicked witch when you want to be Nonnie.'**_

"_**Thank you. I can't go letting Ginny have all the fun can I?'**_

"Lord Potter? Lord Harry Potter?"

Harry turned from the mental conversation and realized that he was being addressed by a man about twenty five years old that was standing in front of him. Who was wearing a camera around his neck. 'Oh no, the press - here we go again' he thought.

"Yes, can I help you?"

"Maybe, do you mind if I sit here? I'm waiting for the Weasley family and since I wasn't allowed in at the Floo Point, I'm taking a chance that they'll be going to the Registration Office before heading off for their lodgings."

Hermione cleared her throat. "Well you guessed right about their destination Mr…?"

"Oh, excuse me. My card." The man rummaged in his jacket pocket and brought out a business card to hand to Hermione. "Jacques O'Brien."

"That's strange combination of nationalities Mr. O'Brien" Harry said. "French?"

"No, unfortunately something much worse I'm afraid. I'm Canadian; I'm a stringer here in Cairo and the Daily Prophet has hired me to follow the Weasley's around and send pictures back of the winner and his family."

Seeing Harry's puzzled look Jacques explained about his job. "A stringer is a freelance photographer or reporter that sells his work to whoever wants it until they get a regular job. The Daily Prophet has hired me to follow the Weasley family around for a week. The winners celebrating and all that."

"No reporting then?"

"No, just pictures. I should admit I have ulterior motives for introducing myself though. It was hinted at me that having you and your wives pictures included with the Weasley's would make my pictures a little more 'marketable' back in England. No one was exactly sure if you would be here to share the vacation with your new family. I guess I'm asking your permission then to take your picture."

Harry appeared to be thinking about it while he had a mental discussion with Hermione. They reached a temporary agreement and Harry held out his hand for Jacques to shake. "We have to check with Ginny but I guess it will be ok with a couple of provisions Mr. O'Brien."

"And they would be?"

"We're trying to keep a low profile here in Egypt so we'd rather not have a pack of reporters and other photographers following us around. So no selling your pictures to the local papers until we're after we're gone."

"And no telling the local reporters that we are here" Hermione added.

"I have no problem with either of those. I have an exclusive contract with the Daily Prophet so I can't sell commercial pictures to anyone else. And I really hate mob scenes. It must get pretty bad in England for you Lord Potter."

"That's one of the other conditions then. I'm Harry and this is Hermione. Hopefully Ginny will be down with her family in a few minutes. We're just barely teenagers so we don't hold much stock with the title stuff just yet."

"As long as drop the mister to my name too then. Mr. O'Brien is currently sleeping soundly in his Toronto house back home."

"Okay Jacques I guess we have a deal. Do Mr. and Mrs. Weasley know they are having a photographer about?"

Jacques smiled. "I sure hope they read all those forms they signed back in Gringotts. Otherwise it might get a little sticky."

Hermione was about to ask Jacques how long he had been a photographer but there was a loud shout from down the hallway. The three looked up to see a convoy of Weasley's headed for them. Harry and Hermione stood up and were engulfed by one of Mrs. Weasleys rib bruising hugs. Ron and the twins were quick to add their greetings to the mix and even Percy seemed to be a little glad to see both Harry and Hermione.

Mr. Weasley patiently waited his turn and then hugged Hermione briefly before turning his attention to Harry. Harry was a little surprised to be greeted with a gentler hug by his father-in-law but was grateful enough to hug Arthur back.

Jacques cleared his throat a little nervously. When most of the eyes swung over to him, Harry did the honors of introducing the photographer to the Weasley family. Arthur and Molly seemed a little embarrassed at the attention but George and Fred quickly decided that Jacques was going to be one of their best friends in Egypt. They quickly started asking him about the local attractions and whether there really were dancing girls on every corner like Bill had wrote them about.

A quick sharp word from Molly had both Bill and the twins flinching. Jacques took the moment of silence to ask if it was a good time to get a family picture of everyone. Shrugging his shoulders, Arthur said it was as good a time as any and they dropped their luggage and quickly lined up for a group photo. Ginny asked Harry and Hermione to join them but Harry said there would be other opportunities.

Jacques took three or four pictures of all the Weasleys in various formations and then Bill said that they needed to get their registrations done. While Bill was leading most of his family into the office, Harry sidled up to Jacques and asked him if he would like to make some additional money. Harry offered to buy copies of all the photos Jacques took whether he sold them to the Prophet or not. Jacques nodded and said he would only charge for the cost of the film but Harry said he would give the photographer a fair price for his efforts at the end of the week. Harry lowered his voice a little and told him the photos would probably be used as Christmas presents for the Weasleys.

Ron had stayed back when everyone else had entered the registration office to talk to Ginny and Hermione. When Bill stuck his head out of the office to call for him, Ron hurried to go inside. Harry asked what the three had been talking about and Ginny grinned. "Ron wanted our assistance to buy something for Luna. He said he would probably end up picking something totally lame if left to his own devices. Luna would accept whatever he got but he wanted to get something she might really like."

"Can he afford anything nice?" Harry asked a little worriedly. He would like to help Ron get something but knew Ron wouldn't accept money from him.

"I think so husband of mine. Since 'someone' was so nice to pay off the mortgage of the Burrow last Christmas, it hasn't been quite so tight at home. And I also think Mum and Dad gave my brothers each a part of that 700 galleon prize."

"Oh no" Hermione said. "The twins are going to be shopping AND they have money? Extra wards on our bed tonight then."

Harry laughed but Hermione seemed genuinely worried. Ginny said that her brothers would save their tricks up for the Slytherins when they got back to Hogwarts.

Jacques told everyone he was going to be leaving for the day but Harry told him that Bill had promised to take everyone to see the British Magical Ambassador. Jacques eyes lit up and he hurried away to see if the Ambassador would allow pictures being taken in his office. The Weasleys finally got through with their registration process and headed for the elevators to go meet the Ambassador. Harry called out for Tride and Dobby to take the Weasleys luggage back to the house and unpack for them. Harry, Ginny, and Hermione then sat back down on the bench and waited for everyone to return.

Hermione had pulled out her book to continue reading and Ginny started asking her about the differences that the book described from what they already knew about Transfiguration. Harry looked at the name on the door that Ron and everybody had just exited from. "Documentation, Registration and Licenses." He sat quietly for a minute and then his eyes lit up. He gave Ginny a brief hug and stood up. "I'm going inside to check on something."

"Something bothering you Harry?"

"I was going to see if there were any other properties here in Egypt other than the house we know about. It couldn't hurt to look. I should only be a few minutes."

Hermione and Ginny watched him walk into the office and then turned to each other. "He's not going in there to just look for other properties is he?" Ginny asked.

Hermione shook her head. "Probably not, but I'm not going to ask or pester him about it. He's got a right to give us some surprises after all."

Ginny giggled but then sobered up. "Can we do anything to prevent a repeat of what happened this morning? It's got to be heartbreaking having memories like that."

"I think that's a question for Dumbledore. I'm kind of upset and happy Harry's not broadcasting that particular dream to us. I'd rather not see his parents killed but I'd still like to have been there in the dream to help him."

"Maybe that's an idea Harry and the two of us can work on. Linking up mentally at night so we share those types of nightmares."

Hermione started blushing furiously and then Ginny put a hand over her mouth and got red herself. "That might not be such a good idea, dear wife. If Harry sees some of the dreams I've had about him, I'm in big trouble. He's got enough ideas of his own."

"We definitely don't need to give him any more ideas" said a giggling Ginny.

Harry returned at that moment and wondered what was going on. Knowing they wouldn't tell him why they were blushing, Harry held up a piece of paper. "There was two other pieces of property listed belonging to the Potter family. Both are warehouses; think Bill and Arthur would go with us sometime this week to check them out?"

"I'm not exactly sure what Bill's work schedule will be but you know the twins and Ron will be up for some explorations. I'm pretty Mum isn't going to let us supervise those three by ourselves."

"She might let Hermione be in charge though. She's the most responsible one of us."

"You take that back Harry Potter. I can be just as irresponsible as you two are – wait that's not right. I meant to say that I… you…oh sod it."

Ginny stepped in and hugged the suddenly flustered Hermione to stop her from feeling worse about what she said. "Face it love. You are considered much more reliable and trustworthy than Harry or me. High grades, good study habits, Head-Girl material and all that."

Hermione was blushing and it got even worse when Harry whispered his two knuts in her ear. Hermione hid her head in Ginny's shoulder until she was sure that she wasn't going to die of embarrassment.

A loaded elevator discharged all the Weasleys and Jacques waved goodbye to the Potters and said he would see them for supper. Harry asked Bill what that was about and was told that Molly and Arthur had invited Jacques to come to a supper out with everyone. They had some idea about getting family pictures too and had liked the young man. Molly had seen that Hermione was still being hugged by Ginny and came over and rubbed her back. "Are Ginny and Harry picking on you again Hermione? I've asked them both not to run wild on you because you aren't as high-spirited as them."

'_**See? Told you.'**_

'_**Shush up.'**_

"No, Mrs… Molly. I turned my ankle a bit when I stood up too suddenly and Ginny was letting me rest on her shoulder until it felt better."

"Okay but don't let them take advantage of you."

'_**Ooh,ooh; can I take advantage, can I ,can I?'**_

'_**Ginny!'**_

Ron asked where their suitcases were and Harry said he sent them on ahead to the house. Satisfied by the answer, everyone drifted toward one of the floos to go to the Potter House. Arthur raised his voice as they approached the hearths and asked Harry what the name of their destination was. When Harry muttered something, everyone grew quiet so they could hear him.

"Okay, I'll tell you all but it wasn't my choice in naming this place. Where we're headed for is …'Cairo Pottery'.

There was an uncharacteristic snigger from Percy of all people and everyone stared at Harry.

"I.. did…not… name.. the… house."

George spoke up his defense. "We believe you Harry; you wouldn't do something so silly…"

"But it sure sounds like we're going to a breakables shop. And me without my rubber gloves and tennies."

Harry hung his head after Fred's statement. He was never going to hear the end of this one. Hermione rescued him, at least temporarily. "Just remember this you two. You break it, you bought it. And there are lots of antiques at the house. Come on Harry – time to go home."

Fred and George stared as Hermione got back at them. Harry reached out a hand and brought Hermione close to kiss her. "You are bloody brilliant" he whispered in her ear before she threw the floo powder and they departed from the Egyptian Ministry of Magic. Harry and Hermione were still chuckling when Ginny and the rest of the Weasleys joined them. Ginny and Tride showed most of the Weasleys around the house while Harry and Hermione talked to Bill about the week ahead.

"I'm basically on a work when I want this week" Bill started. "I can put in any many or as few hours as I want but I still have to do the security checks morning and night and be on call for any new rooms or artifacts that are discovered at the dig site."

"Sounds like you're pretty busy most of the time" Hermione said.

"It has its moments as a curse breaker. Lots of boredom followed by moments of terror. It's a challenge most days."

"Sounds like my life" Harry said a little distractively.

They were interrupted from any further discussion about Bill's job when Ginny, Ron and the twins returned to the patio. "Mum and Dad wanted to lie down for a kip and Percy's broke out his books again."

"He just got here" Harry protested.

"But Percy's got a lot of responsibility coming up. He been named Head Boy" Ron said.

"Well that's good for him, isn't it?"

Bill spoke up. "But he's much bigger target for some brotherly pranks now."

"Hey, count me in too." Ginny held up a large sealed folder. "The Hogwarts letters evidently came before they left and ours got sent to the Burrow. Mum says ours are in here. Either of you interested in looking?"

Hermione sat in shock; she wasn't ready for this. She couldn't look at the results. What if she got E in one of her classes? Worse yet, what would her parents say if she got a Troll in one of her classes? It was unthinkable; her whole future ruined in one moment. She just couldn't look.

'_**Nonnie? Nonnie – it's okay. You didn't mess up; I'm sure you got all O's again.'**_

Hermione awoke when she 'heard' Harry's calming voice. She took a deep breath and took the envelope that Ginny was offering her. It was thicker than last year's report. 'Why?' she thought.

"I've got a letter from Dumbledore with my grades" Harry said. "Okay, my grades are fine. You can look at mine first Hermione if you want."

Harry came over and shoved his grades in front of Hermione's face. She took the piece of paper, grateful she had something to keep her from looking at her own grades.

Summary Grades for: Harry Potter – 2nd Year

Astronomy - E

Charms – O

Defense Against the Dark Arts – O+

Herbology – A

History of Magic – D

Potions – E+ (Credit added for contributed school supplies)

Transfiguration – O +

"That's great Harry." Ginny brought her report over; it was very similar to Harry's but she had received an "A" somehow for the History of Magic with an E in Herbology.

'_**Evidently being able to turn into Lord Gryffindor counts for something Jamie.'**_

'_**Yes, but he/I have got a Board of Governor's meeting to go to before school starts. I'll tell you both about Dumbledore's letter later.'**_

"I got a letter from Madame Pomfrey with the additional books I'm going to need" Ginny said out loud.

"Better you than me having to get more books sis." Ron looked pretty pleased with himself until Ginny asked him what his marks were. Ron turned red for a second and said he was going to go look at the city again from the roof.

Harry turned to the twins and asked them how bad Ron did. "He did better than us and he even got an O in DADA. Mum and Dad lit into him for the Dreadful in History and the Poor in Potions though."

"Those are the two roughest courses and you can't expect Snape to grade any Weasley or Gryffindor right. What did you get Hermione?"

Hermione took another deep breath to calm her nerves and slowly opened her grades sheet. She finally smiled and relaxed. All O's straight down. Harry looked over her shoulder. "I was right. You worry too much."

Hermione saw that the extra thickness was a letter from Professor McGonagall. She slipped it into her pants pocket for later reading. She had made an unusual request of Professor McGonagall when deciding her courses for her third year. Hermione wasn't sure she needed to go through with that request now. She would see what the result of her request was first and then talk to Harry and Ginny about it.

Bill stood up and said he needed to go check on the dig site. Of course, Fred and George were right there asking to go with him but he declined to take them. "I'm going to need Mum and Dad to help me watch you two. I'll go see if Ron wants to come; I need to tell him how bad Charlie's grades were in his second year."

The twins and Ginny laughed about having something to blackmail their other brother with as Bill headed up the stairs to the roof. He came back down about fifteen minutes later with a cheered up Ron and the two flooed away to Bill's apartment. Harry had forgotten to ask Bill what time the reservations were for supper but thought they had at least two hours to kill.

The five went out for a long walk around the neighborhood and the twins entertained everyone by telling stories of how they had started pranking everyone during their first year at Hogwarts.

Xxxx xxxxogwartsHogwarts

Arthur and Molly were up when the five returned from their walk. They hurried everyone along to clean up and change as they said Bill had promised them a quick tour around the city. Harry and the girls immediately thought about the magic carpet ride they had gone on the previous day and were anticipating another similar experience.

Fred and George headed upstairs to shower and change. Harry, Ginny and Hermione were close behind them in heading to the third floor and the master bath. Ginny beat everyone into the shower because she pushed the other two over while they were all hurrying to get undressed. She thought less about the brilliance of her win when Harry came into the shower and sat on her. Hermione came in and tickled the souls of her feet until Ginny promised not to cheat like that again. ('Not that she wouldn't cheat some other way' she thought as the three began hurriedly washing up together.)

It was a statement of their focus that the three Potters washed, dried, changed and returned downstairs before the twins did. The twins were still laughing and putting things into their pockets when they came back down the stairs. Molly almost made them turn out their pockets but was stopped when Bill and Ron arrived back by floo. Ron was trying to tell everyone how exciting Bill's dig site was but his dad told him to go upstairs and change. All other thoughts of storytelling went out of Ron's mind when he realized that everyone was going to be leaving soon for supper.

Ron's trip upstairs to clean and change was done in almost record time but Molly stopped him when he came back downstairs. "That" she said pointing, "is not going to a restaurant with us."

Ron reluctantly pulled Scabbers out of his pocket. "But he's been travelling all day too and I'm sure he's hungry." Harry shook his head and headed for the kitchen. While Ron was trying to argue with his Mum, Harry had Tride fix up a small plate of cheese and bread. He brought the plate back to Ron as he was heading upstairs; Ron took it and headed upstairs to lock Scabbers back in his cage.

When he came back downstairs with Percy in tow Hermione asked Ron why he had brought the pet halfway around the world. Ron slowly admitted that he couldn't talk Luna into watching the rat while they were gone. "I just don't understand it; she loves every kind of creature that ever existed."

'_**And some that haven't'**_ Harry quipped to his wives.

Ginny was starting to tell everyone about their cruise when their came a loud honking noise from outside. Bill took a peek out the front door and said their ride had arrived.

Everyone was amazed to see a black and silver stretch limousine waiting outside in the street for them. Even more surprising was their driver- Sally Forrester, one of the ambassador's secretaries. "Welcome aboard. Your ride is courtesy of British Magical Ambassador tonight."

Arthur and Molly protested but Sally said that her boss didn't have many reasons to requisition one of the staff cars and he thought that the Weasley family qualified for that. Molly cast a suspicious eye at Harry and he shook his head back at her. He certainly didn't ask for any preferential treatment for him or anybody else. Everyone piled into the massive back seat except for Ginny. She wanted to see how the vehicle was operated and Sally said she could sit up front and talk to her while she was driving.

The tour around Cairo by car was almost as thorough and wondrous as the one the Potters took by magic carpet. Between Bill and Sally, they showed and described all the sights and history of the ancient city. There were the inevitable traffic jams in some places but everyone kept in a good mood for the delays.

Sally eventually drove to the restaurant that Bill had made reservations for. It was a converted paddle wheeler that floated next to an isolated dock on the Nile River itself. It looked very exotic and a little expensive if Harry was any judge of restaurants. He asked no questions but held out his elbows for Ginny and Hermione to grab as everyone followed Bill up the gangplank. Jacques was waiting on board and joined everyone in going to their table.

Supper was a great typical Weasley supper in spite of the fancy surroundings. Lots of talk and lots of laughter were exchanged between all the Weasleys and the three Potters. Ginny seemed to really enjoy having a nice evening with almost all her family there. Harry only had one complaint though; the menu was picked out of his hands and his wives decided what he was having for supper. Ginny's brothers were beside themselves with the sight and picked on Harry about being the 'Man' of the house. Hermione and Ginny silenced them by both kissing Harry soundly at the same time. Molly broke out laughing as Harry blushed at the attention. Jacques had taken a number of photos of the various people during the meal and caught Harry's red face and the kiss perfectly.

"You ought to take a note about Harry's behavior boys. He knows where and when to stand up for himself. He knows where his bread is buttered."

Ginny's brothers glared a bit at Harry as if it was his fault their mother had scolded them. Ginny and Hermione held up his hands and said he was really tied down now and they were satisfied about what Harry did or didn't do. That led to another round of laughter at the table and Harry sinking red-faced down in his seat.

A small squabble broke out when it was time to pay the bill as Harry, Arthur and Bill all started disputing who should pay. Molly, Ginny and Hermione left at that point to go to the ladies room. The three came back to some stares as the men at the table found out that the ladies had taken care of the charges. Harry eventually laughed and hugged all three of them. Everyone was in good spirits when they left the floating restaurant to have Sally drive them home. Jacques said he would be in touch as he apparated away himself.

Xxxx xxxx

Everyone except Percy eventually ended up on the Potter roof after Bill flooed back to his apartment. They all stayed up talking but drifted away slowly by ones or two. Molly, the last Weasley awake, finally gave everyone a hug and Ginny a kiss before heading back to her own bed and husband. That left Harry, Ginny and Hermione to look at each other and wonder if they could get away with sleeping on the rooftop together.

Harry said he rather they not be embarrassed by being discovered by Percy or the twins and the three went back to their own bedroom. As they were changing for bed, Harry finally remembered the note that he had gotten from Dumbledore.

"Other than the congratulations for all our grades, the headmaster made me aware that I have some upcoming responsibilities to attend to. The Hogwarts Board of Governors is meeting next week and an appearance by Lord Gryffindor is expected since I made such a stink the last time I was before them. Also Lord Slytherin since he's made an appearance. That will be hard to do; two Lords at the same time."

"Not really Harry. Lord Slytherin can sign a proxy or whatever it's called giving our friend Rob Loxley his vote."

Harry looked up startled. "Of course! Hermione, you are really the brightest witch. That takes care of my other appearance; the Wizengamot is meeting before school starts so Lord Potter will be expected to be there. Do you think Neville's grandmother would be agreeable to taking my proxy on votes? I certainly don't know anything about Wizard politics."

Ginny nodded. "I'm sure Lady Longbottom would be happy to do that and help explain things. We'll write her when we get home."

"No, we'll go and visit and ask properly. I don't want to mess up by doing things wrong right off the bat. She would properly know the legal way to word something like that."

"We really need to get a barrister on retainer Harry. I'm afraid there's going to be more legal requirements the further we go on."

"I'm sure your right Ginny. I'll ask Remus if mom and dad had a lawyer or if Gringotts can provide those services?"

Ginny whistled. "That would get more than a few people upset. Dad says goblins are extremely wicked for treaties and documents."

"Gringotts it is then. Are we about ready to turn in or does anybody want another go at the shower since we rushed through it getting ready?"

Ginny smiled in anticipation but Hermione held up her hand. "I've got a small confession to make first before we get to anything else."

Harry and Ginny sat on a couch as Hermione paced nervously back and forth. It seemed to take a while for her to make up her mind about something. Ginny finally pointed to a nearby clock and Hermione stopped and came up to them. "We had to tell Professor McGonagall what classes we wanted to take this year. And things were kind of jumbled up with Ginny and the Founders chambers we found and then there was the stupid monster going around and trying to kill everyone."

"Yes, things were a right mess" Ginny said. "I'm sorry."

Hermione smiled. "Neither Harry or I are blaming you for anything that happened last year. But anyway we hadn't made it to the Rowena's chamber yet and I really wanted to see Merlin's Library. But that hadn't happened yet; I was a little frustrated I couldn't get to all those books."

Harry held out a hand to stop Hermione from rambling on. She did that sometimes when she was nervous. "So what classes did you sign up for Nonnie?"

"I wanted to take all of them. All the core subjects and all the electives."

"Oh, I'm confused Hermione." Ginny was trying to figure out if Hermione had slipped a gear or was overcome with fatigue when she made that decision.

"How did you expect to get to all of those classes Hermione? Some of them had to overlap and it's physically impossible to be in two places at one time."

Hermione was chewing on her lip and Harry had a sudden idea. "It's not physically impossible is it Hermione? You figured out a way to take all those classes."

Hermione hung her head and nodded. "Remember I was helping Madame Pince restore some of those books we got from Godric's library? Well, I was browsing through one of them and came upon a description of an item that the early Aurors used in their investigations. Something called a time turner. I asked Professor McGonagall later if time turners still existed and she was shocked that I knew about something so secret. She explained it was a highly hidden secret that only a few Aurors and Unspeakables even knew about or could use."

"Why?" asked Ginny.

Harry answered. "There's got to be all sorts of problems if you use them. You can totally muck up history. Accidentally kill your grandfather or something like that."

Hermione grinned but nodded. "That's one of the restrictions but Professor McGonagall said that the magic only works for like 24 hours; you can only go back a day at most."

"And you wanted to get one to temporarily go back an hour or two and either attend a separate class or be able to do a mountain of homework. Hermione, haven't you been listening to either of us? We don't want you to burn yourself out."

Hermione's bottom lip started quivering and Harry felt he might have spoken up too sharply. Ginny climbed off the couch and gave Hermione a hug.

"I'm sorry Hermione. You didn't deserve that. You asked Professor McGonagall to see if she could get one for you so you could learn more. I can understand that but it still sounds dangerous. What did she say?"

Hermione pulled the envelope out of her pocket. "The answer is in here I hope. I don't know if I want to have a time turner any more though. The main danger is running into yourself once you've gone back in time. It creates a paradox."

"What's a paradox?"

"It's some sort of physical or logical impossibility, if I remember right Ginny."

"Harry's got it right. It would at least kill both versions of myself and maybe explode everything for 2 miles around."

"Hermione, really really bad idea."

"I thought if I kept a running journal of where I was then I could really avoid myself and it wouldn't be a problem. I'm not so convinced it's a good idea anymore."

Ginny breathed a sigh of relief. "You don't need all those courses to prove to anybody how smart you are Hermione."

Harry came down and enfolded both witches in a group hug. "I took a look at the course descriptions for Muggle Studies and I'm pretty sure Nonnie and I could pass our OWLS if not our NEWTS in that course right now. Ginny could probably take the final this year without attending one single lecture."

"I like the sound of that Harry. Think I could.."

"NO" came from the other two mouths and then they were all laughing again. "Let's talk to Professor McGonagall when we get back and tell her none of us want to take Muggle Studies and Divination. We'll see about covering any overlap of classes without using any dangerous devices."

"Thanks Harry, Ginny. You are both too good to me."

"Only because you deserve it." Harry laughed and called up a little bit of their bond magic. He bent and lifted both witches off their feet and threw them onto the bed. Hermione's letter from Professor McGonagall fell to the floor and was quickly forgotten as the snogging started.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29 – A Welcoming and More

**Ginny Potter's Diary ** _August 18__th__, 1993 (Second Day Weasley Family Trip to Egypt)_

_- Bill had to work this morning. We were waiting around for him to floo in when a small grey and white eagle landed out on the patio. Harry carried it in and saw that there was a message attached for Dad; it explained that the diggers had found a new set of rooms in the tomb he was working at. He would be busy clearing those chambers for at least the morning. He apologized but said he would try to hurry. Dad sent the eagle back to Bill with a short note saying we could fend for ourselves and to not rush the curse breaking. _

_We didn't really know what to do as we all were looking forward to going to the dig sight and seeing what Bill did. Mum said that it was probably too dangerous at times and Bill would bring us out when it was safer. It was the twins that suggested a shopping trip to get the souvenirs and gifts for other people out of the way. Harry wasn't exactly keen on the idea until Hermione whispered that she didn't know if African underwear was different from English; the momentary glazed look in our husband's eye was almost comical to see. Everyone went shopping for an hour or two at The Wazir's Wadi - even Percy. He dug into his money pouch and bought a very nice promise ring for Penelope at one of the jewelry stores. (Mum has been pushing him for some sign of commitment to her since they were found naked and petrified together in the Prefect's bathroom. I guess they ARE getting serious but Perce wants to wait till he gets a good job at the Ministry before making a permanent move.)_

_Hermione and I and Mum found some nice clothes and she only stared a bit when Hermione found some silk knickers to put in her bag. I sense a talk coming from her but she hasn't got to the point of speaking to us 'wives' yet._

_To the surprise of all, Ron wandered into the bookstore (voluntarily mind you) and came out with a book on Egyptian Astronomy for Luna. Hermione and I are starting to get some hopes up for him; he may just turn out to be a nice match for our off-kilter friend. He and Percy just wandered around the rest of the stores and Ron got to hear a mini-lecture from his brother on the duties and responsibilities of being head boy. (Poor Ron.)_

_Harry and Dad were browsing through some of the other stores along the way when Harry stopped and then rushed into the small stationery store that was located in a building with the local wandmaker. He came out a little while later carrying a package that contained some regular stationary along with some monogram sheets and parchment._

_Harry 'told' Hermione and me that he had just thought of something important and he had to write Remus an urgent letter. We wished him an accident free floo back to the house and that we would see him in a little while. He left and we went out to find Dad and help him track down Gred and Forge. They were of course found in the Egyptian equivalent of Zonko's and practicing their charms on a pair of young witches. Hermione and I went in to the store and announced in a loud voice that their Mummy and Daddy were looking for them. We received glares from the twins but Mum did poke her head in the store at that point and did call for them. The two girls had turned away at that point but I told the twins that long-distance relationships hardly ever worked. We heard some mutterings of revenge but then we all were flooing back to get some lunch at the house. Tride was just starting to work on lunch but stepped aside as Mum took over the meal preparation._

_While everyone was washing for lunch, Harry came and told us what he had thought of. "I left something at Privet Drive and I need to find out what's happened to the house."_

"_What was so important Harry?"_

"_The floo point in my closet. I never made any arrangements to have it uninstalled and if somebody has bought the Dursley's old house, then I'm sunk."_

_Hermione's mouth opened in a little O. "The Statute of Secrecy Act; if some muggles find out about it…."_

"_I might be joining Sirius in Azkaban." Harry was upset and with good cause; I shuddered to think what might come about because of that oversight._

"_I sent Dobby back with a letter to Remus and told him to wait for an answer." Good, now Hermione and I could get nervous with Harry; it really wasn't his fault. So many things have happened to us since Harry came to find us in the Chamber of Secrets, it's no wonder he forgot a small but important detail._

_I guess Mum and Dad could see that something was off with us during lunch and they cornered us out on the patio. Harry confessed the problem and Dad luckily laughed. He said it was a common problem when wizards and witches moved but there wasn't much of a penalty involved if a floo was accidentally discovered. The muggles were Obliviated and there was usually a fine levied to pay for the Aurors time and the cost of uninstalling the floo._

_There was a whoosh of a floo connection and we all turned to see Bill standing in the hearth. We only knew it was Bill because of the shorts and ponytail. He was covered in a thick layer of dust and sand and only the whites of his eyes showed through the grit. He said that there was a 'minor' cave-in but everything was propped up and stable. Bill was done with his official duties until later but he was going to floo home and clean up first before he came back._

_Harry looked at Hermione and me and grinned. He asked Bill to step out of the hearth and he would take care of the cleanup. Bill was a little skeptical but did as Harry asked. Harry brought out his wand and made a whipping motion with it as he cast the spell. "Aguamundus ablatus."_

_Almost instantly a small ring of water formed on the tiles beneath Bill's feet. It spun rapidly a time or two and then turned into a narrow waterspout that swept up from the floor following Bill's form. The circle of water moved upward and where the bottom of the waterspout passed the dirt and grime was removed to vanish out the top of the waterspout. Harry yelled for Bill to hold his breath for a bit when the clean area had reached his waist. It only took another three of four seconds for the waterspout to rise above the level of Bill's head and disappear as quickly as it had come._

_Mum, Dad, and Bill all stared down at the clean clothes and skin that had replaced the absolute griminess that he had arrived in._

"_Where did you find that spell Harry? I've never heard of anything like that before and I've heard a lot of them."_

_Harry blushed a little at Dad's words and hesitantly replied it was something that Godric Gryffindor had taught him. Mum fell back on her chair suddenly and Bill gave Harry a very curious look. Hermione explained that it had been a living portrait of Godric and Dad verified to Bill that three of the four founder's portraits had been recently found. Hermione pointed to Harry and Bill nodded slowly._

_We ended up taking a muggle tour bus to look at the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx at Giza during the afternoon. Dad was fascinated by the conversations coming from all the regular tourists on the big bus but Mum seemed a little nervous with the variety of different languages we heard. Harry and Hermione heard a few people speaking Italian and they practiced their recently acquired language skills in doing a little bit of harmless eavesdropping._

_Bill said there was an excellent show after dusk as huge floodlights illuminated the area and there was a loudspeaker presentation of the history of Egypt that ran back 5000 years. It sounded like a nice way to spend an evening and we all talked on the bus ride back to Cairo about seeing if we could fit the performance into our schedule._

_Bill had to floo back to the dig site after we ate supper at the house. He had barely left when Dobby reappeared with an answer from Remus. He handed Harry the envelope but could hardly contain himself as he said he had great news. When Tride appeared from the kitchen, Dobby made an announcement that we Potters had been expecting for a while. Llasol had finally given birth to a new female elfling! My Weasley family must have thought we were crazy as we celebrated very loudly._

_Dobby had hardly spoken about the surprise when a gold colored envelope appeared in front of Harry. Harry opened the envelope and found it carried a birth announcement from Knop, Rettus and Llasol. 'Harmionny' had been born at 2:36 pm in Potter Manor. She weighed 6 pounds, 6 ounces. "Six is considered a very lucky number for house elves" Dobby mentioned to us. Both Tribe and Dobby were positively beaming with happiness. Harry bent down and asked Tride when the Protection Rite needed to be performed for the new elfling. Tride was sure it had to be done within 3 days. Harry, Hermione and I started making plans to travel home to Potter Manor for a half day to see the newest member of our extended family._

_Dobby tugged on Harry's hand and asked if he knew the ceremony and words for the rite. Harry thought for a minute and then looked hard at both the Potter and Gryffindor family rings on his fingers. He eventually nodded and explained to us mentally that the rings held the knowledge of the ceremony._

_Harry made his apologies to Mum and the rest of the family and said he had some official business to take care of. He said the three of us and both elves would be returning to Potter manor in the morning for about a half day. We went upstairs to make plans and to discuss what the ceremony entailed._

_The letter from Remus contained the news that Harry now owned the house at 4 Privet Drive so we all breathed a sigh of relief before we turned in for the night. Harry seemed to be in the mood for extra snuggling and Hermione and I were happy to help him with that._

_(For those busybodies daring to read my diary, snuggling meant just that – hugging, kissing and just enjoying the feel of bodies close to each other. Nothing else. So there!)_

(End of Diary Entry)

Xxx xxx

Harry, Hermione and Ginny walked down the stairs to find most of the Weasleys up and getting ready for breakfast. Molly sent Percy back up the stairs to try and wake Ron up and he came stumbling down in his robe a few minutes later asking everyone what the good a vacation was if everyone couldn't sleep in. Arthur stepped in at that point and asked if Ron would rather return with Harry and the others to Potter Manor rather than spend time with Bill and the rest of his family. Ron didn't dare say another word during breakfast.

Bill Weasley flooed in and grabbed a quick bite of food with everyone before leaving for the dig site. He said he would be back at lunch to take everyone out to the one of the older sites he had cleared out. Bill asked Ginny if she, Harry and Hermione would be done with their business in time to get back to go with everyone. She said she hoped so but Harry volunteered to go back to the Manor alone. The looks he got from his wives made all the men at the table a little uncomfortable for Harry.

"_We_ will be back as soon as we can and if we miss leaving with everyone we'll catch up." That statement from Harry had Hermione and Ginny relaxing and Molly telling her sons that there was always something special about seeing a newborn for most women.

"Women? Them two?" The quick angry breath that Ginny drew in was replaced by a smile when George and Fred stuffed Ron totally under the table.

"He'll apologize later" Arthur said. "The quicker you leave, the sooner you will get back."

Tride offered to clean up the breakfast dishes and put away the leftovers but Molly said some family members ("Ronald!") were capable of doing that. Harry tried to hide his smile at Ron speaking without thinking again and saw Molly just winked at him knowingly.

Harry waved goodbye to everyone but Ginny went and hugged Ron briefly. Harry told Dobby and Tride to leave for the manor and he activated the portkey that would bring him and his wives home. They arrived after a few moments of transit in the front hall of Potter Manor again. Knop was awaiting them again and this time he smiled in greeting them. "Welcome home Lord Harry, Lady Hermione and Lady Ginny."

Harry smiled down at the major domo. "Hello Knop and congratulations. Is there an elfish equivalent to grandfather?"

Knop stopped and thought for a second. "It has not been used for many years but the term is 'Jiji'.

Ginny did a little bow in the house elf's direction. "Happy to meet you Jiji Knop."

Knop shook his head. "That sounds most peculiar coming from a human mouth Lady Ginny."

"My apologies then Knop. How are Rettus and Llasol?"

"Doing quite well. The birthing process is much easier for us than for you human females."

"When we heard about the new elfling, Harry wanted to come back and make sure the Protection Rite was done quickly."

Knop nodded and seemed pleased. "That would be more than welcomed then."

Harry asked if the ceremony was a public or private undertaking. Knop said that it was usually private but since this was the first birth in many years at Potter Manor, Rettus and Llasol were going to request a public ceremony.

Nodding, Harry went down to his knees and spoke a few quick sentences to the major domo. Knop nodded enthusiastically and departed to start arranging things. Harry straightened up and turned to his wives. "Everyone is meeting back here in an hour and a half for the ceremonies. I'm going to be in the library reading and planning for a bit. I'd welcome your company if you want to come with me. We'll need to get our best dress robes out for this I think."

Hermione started following her spouses to the library but stopped in mid-step. "You said ceremonies Harry. What are we doing exactly?"

Harry smiled as he turned and continued to walk backwards. "Nice catch Nonnie. I need to tell you what I plan on because I'm going to need your help and involvement. Might as well start this House business out on the right foot. First we all go back to our regular appearances…"

The library doors closed behind the trio and they all sat down to go over what Harry thought he needed to do.

Xxxx xxx

An hour and a half later, the thirty house elves were assembled in the Great Hall like they had met the Potters initially. Rettus and Llasol were holding a small bundle at the front of the crowd with Knop standing right beside them. As the clock struck 9, the lord and ladies of the house descended the stairway.

Harry looked very impressive as he dressed in a formal black silk robe with red trimmed sleeves and collar. The Potter house badge was displayed prominently on his chest. His wives dressed in contrasting dark red robes with gold trim and descended the stairway one step back from their husband. Harry stopped on the second step up from the bottom but Hermione and Ginny rushed by him to greet the new parents and see Harmionny.

A small twitter ran through the female elves in the group and Harry couldn't help smiling at the way everyone seemed to rush in and see the new elfling. Harry let his wives get their talking in for a few minutes and then cleared his throat. Ginny and Hermione looked up and blushed a little and hurried back to stand just behind him.

'_**Sorry!'**_

"_**It's not that formal an occasion ladies. Let's try getting this right.'**_

Harry looked around the gathering and spoke. "We are all here to attend a ceremony that hasn't been done here in Potter Manor for at least a dozen years. To welcome a new member to the community and a new member into our house. I don't have any experience with this type of ceremony but I will try my best to satisfy all the house and personal obligations that must be done."

"Let us begin then. Rettus and Llasol."

The two house elves stepped forward and Harry stepped down the two steps to meet them. Rettus and Llasol both held up their new elfling for Harry to see. Harry carefully moved the blanket away from the young one's face and whispered to Llasol that he thought it was a beautiful youngster. He wasn't a great judge of elvish looks but it seemed the right thing to say. Harry then spoke up so that everyone in the hall could hear his voice.

"We meet this morning to see and acknowledge the new life in our midst. Harmionny, the offspring of Llasol and Rettus has been presented to me in accordance to long standing traditions. I, Lord Harry Potter, extend and bestow all the protections and guarantees that the House of Potter holds to Harmionny. The House of Potter pledges to ensure the life, safety and well-being of this individual until the time of Final Sunset or she decides to be formally bound into our house."

A silver light surrounded Harmionny briefly and then vanished. The house elves all uncharacteristically started celebrating at the end of the formal speech but Harry suddenly held up his hand for quiet. Hermione and Ginny stepped down at that point next to Harry and clasped hands.

"I Harry…"

"I Ginny…"

"I Hermione…"

"…give our personal oaths to do the utmost within our power to help, protect and defend Harmionny from all dangers. So mote it be."

A momentary silver glow surrounded the Potters and the young elfling again and her parents went to one knee as a measure of respect. The rest of the house elves followed suit as they witnessed an unheard of personal pledge of support from the Master of the House and his Ladies.

Rettus spoke up. "Thank you Lord Harry, Lady Hermione and Lady Ginny. You honor our elfling and the House of Potter with your words."

Ginny suddenly clapped her hands once and spoke up. "Oh, please stand up everyone. There are a few more matters of House business we would like to conduct now."

Harry searched through the crowd for a face that he had spent some time with lately. "Tride!"

"Yes, Lord Harry?"

"Front and center if you please."

Tride walked forward a little hesitantly as Rettus, Llasol and their new elfling backed away and sideways, closer to Knop.

Harry waited for a second until Tride came forward and looked up at him and his wives a little hesitantly. "I wish to say to all gathered here that Tride was one of the first to personally welcome me to Potter Manor. He has proved himself to me and my wives to be a loyal elf. Tride, do you desire to be formally bound to the House of Potter this day?"

"Yes, Lord Harry. I can think of no greater desire than to serve you, your family and this house."

"Very well. Kneel Tride."

Tride knelt and Harry laid his hand on the top of the house elf's head. Ginny and Hermione moved so that everyone could see them each put a hand on their husband's shoulder in a sign of support and approval.

"The Noble and Ancient House of Potter have many old customs and traditions. Today I will happily perform one that I hope will occur many times in the years ahead. Let all present witness and forswear that this elf has voluntarily decided to commit himself to a person, a family, an Ancient and Noble House and to all of us. Something that he has desired for many years. Tride, offspring of Moog and Dasem, I, Lord Potter, bind you by magics secret and sacred to the service of myself, my family and all the members of the House of Potter from this day forward. May all the protections, benefits and responsibilities you are now granted bring your life purpose, meaning and happiness. "

Harry's hand on Tride head glowed orange-gold briefly and then Tride himself took on the glow himself. When the glow subsided, Harry could feel the amount of magic coming off the house elf had increased. Tride looked down to see that the Potter crest on his uniform was still glowing softly. He got to his feet a little hesitantly and then performed the deepest bow that Harry had ever seen a house elf do.

"I am ready to serve you, my Lord, your ladies and this House with all my heart and magic. What are your commands?"

Harry smiled down at his new official house elf. "You will _never _bow that low to me or my wives again for starters. There is a time and place for that but this is a day for celebrations. Knop and all assembled here – you are granted the day off in case I haven't said it yet."

There was a cheer from all the assemble house elves and they all rushed forward to congratulate Tride. Harry was hugged by Ginny and Hermione and Moog and Dasem came forward to bow and thank Harry for performing the binding on their offspring. Harry was a little embarrassed by this but just nodded his head.

Knop waited for a few minutes for the celebrating to settle a bit and then clapped his hands a number of times to get everyone to become quiet. "Our Master still has not finished with this meeting yet. House business still requires our attention."

Harry waited for the crowd around Tride to spread out a little before he spoke out again. "Dobby!"

The house elf was so overcome by his being called out that he had a difficult time making his way through the crowd to come and stand at Harry's feet. "What can poor and lowly Dobby do for the great wizard and Lord Harry Potter?"

"Dobby, you have already proven yourself a friend to me and my family and I can think of no more righteous act than helping to free you from your former masters. You are a free elf now and I will not jeopardize that freedom by asking you if you want to be bound to the House of Potter."

Dobby almost looked disappointed but he listened to every word that Harry spoke. "I will offer to extend the Protection of our House to you. Unless anyone, and I do mean anyone, human or elf, objects to it. My offer is not to be taken as a command and I will listen to any reason not to proceed with it."

Dobby was crying openly at the measure of care Harry and his ladies had for him. After looking around and seeing nothing but approving faces from the house elves in the hall, Harry repeated the Rite of Protection that he had performed with Harmionny. Dobby seemed to stand a little taller after the silver glow faded away from him. He made a little bow and smiled as Harry winked at him and shook his hand.

Hermione called out for Knop and the head elf came forward. "Knop, neither, I nor Harry or Ginny know all the customs and practices of the house elves yet. I was wondering if there was a way or a practice that would make it possible to take in a stray elf as part of the community of elves here at the manor."

Knop nodded and understood the implication. "We have the room and the method. All we need is permission from anyone that occupies the Lord's quarters."

"So granted" came from the three voices in front of the crowd.

Knop shook his head and pointed. "He has to ask too."

Everyone's head turned to Dobby but it was Harry who spoke. "What about it Dobby? Would you like to join up? Do you want a home where you can stay a free elf?"

Dobby was nodding his head so hard and fast that Ginny was afraid that his flapping ears would give him enough lift to rise off the ground. Dobby finally found his voice to ask the question. "Will the good and mighty Harry Potter allow me to join this community of House elves?"

"Yes Dobby." Dobby started crying again and lept to wrap himself around Harry's knees. "You are such a great and kind wizard. Dobby will tell everyone he meets how Lord and Ladies Potter have taken care of Dobby."

Harry gently picked Dobby up and stood him back a few feet. "Go talk to your new relations Dobby." Harry smiled as Dobby reluctantly left and unfastened some of the top buttons on his robe. "That does take care of the official House business everyone. Except for one statement; I intend to grant any house elf couple the permission to have their own elfling. They just need to come and see me and ask. Does anyone have any questions or requests while we're here?" Seeing no hands raised Harry let go a sigh of relief and sat down on the stairway.

A few of the elves came forward but just to talk to Harry. Hermione and Ginny sought out Llasol and Harmionny to ask questions and see the young one again. A small cluster of female elves surrounded the trio and youngling and Harry seemed glad to see everyone have such a good time together. It was something like family. Harry realized it _was_ family – this was his family now. Ginny, Hermione and the house elves were a bigger something that he had missed out on for the first eleven years of his life.

Ginny and Hermione looked up almost immediately as they felt the emotional happiness coming from their husband. They both said goodbye to Llasol and the other females and hurried back to the stairway where Harry sat.

"You look awful satisfied there Harry" Ginny said lightly.

"Just enjoying my home life." Harry stood up and stretched bringing both his wives close to his side. "We did it; all the rites and all the ceremonies."

Hermione smiled up Harry. "You had some doubts about pulling it off?"

"I never did anything like this before. Even with your and the Family ring's help I wasn't sure I could generate the right type and amount of magic to ward and bind our new elves."

Knop had been waiting patiently for a small break in Harry and the ladies' conversation. "You have done well Lord Harry. We could all see and feel the amount of respect you have for us elves."

"Thank you Knop. Like I've said before; we are a family of sorts so we need to take care of each other."

"Dobby seems very happy to be included with everyone else now."

"He was treated very badly by his former masters so I hoped he would like to stay here."

"You'll have a hard time separating him from you and your ladies now. Speaking of that, how soon are you going back to join Lady Ginny's family?"

Harry shook his head quickly. He had been concentrating so much on the details of the ceremony that he had forgotten that they had promised to go back to Egypt to meet up with Bill and the others.

"I guess we'll be leaving in a half–hour or so; enough time to get a bit of lunch and freshen up. Could you have somebody bring some sandwiches and drinks up to the balcony outside our bedroom?"

"It would be anyone's pleasure to attend you three today."

"Thank you Knop. Oh, you can tell Tride and Dobby that we don't expect them to come back to the house in Egypt unless they want to. They can stay here and celebrate but we would like someone to show up later for the evening meal."

"I doubt there will be a lack of volunteers that would like to perform that duty and serve you Lord Harry."

Hermione grabbed Harry's hand and started tugging on it. "We're heading upstairs to change."

"We are?"

Ginny brought Harry's head down to whisper in his ear. Harry blushed but turned to address Knop. "We're heading upstairs to change now. Food in twenty minutes?"

Hermione disagreed. "Better make it thirty minutes Knop." Knop watched the three head back upstairs in a little bit of a hurry. It seemed like a day for celebrations all around then.

Knop turned to see if he could find Dobby and Tride and pass on Lord Harry's wishes.

Xxxx xxxx

The Potter house in Cairo was almost deserted when Harry and his wives returned to it. Disappointed that they had missed Bill and the rest of the Weasley's, Harry almost missed Ron sitting in a corner of the patio.

Ron stood up and came into the main part of the house. "Mum and Dad said I should stay here and wait for you and we could all use the portkey Bill made. That O'Brien photographer was called by Dad so he's tagged along with everyone else."

A deep sigh escaped Ron. "I also need to apologize to Ginny and Hermione for treating you like little girls still. Mum sat us boys down for a quick word and say that you two and Harry are sharing something unique and it makes you more grownup because you're married. And that means you may be doing some things that aren't appropriate in my way of thinking. You were my best mate Harry and you were my little sister and her best friend. It's hard to wrap my head around that stuff."

Ginny left Harry's side to wrap her brother in a hug. "I'm still your little sister, you prat. That's never going to change. Harry and Hermione are parts of the family now and you should be glad to have them. They are both wonderful people and they do make me happy."

"That's important but I've got to be honest with the three of you. I get mad and jealous and upset that things aren't the same as they used to be. It's downright confusing at times."

Harry and Hermione looked at each and then came and hugged Ron and Ginny. "It's a little the same for us Ron" Hermione said. "But I'm glad I can say I'm related to all the craziness and love that comes with being a part of an extended Weasley family. You may have gained Harry and I but Harry and I have added your Mum, Dad, you and all your brothers to our family."

Ron made a face. "Even Percy?"

Harry laughed. "Yes even Percy although I'm not sure I'll brag about that to many people."

That brought a smile to Ron's face. "Good, let's get out of this little hugfest and get out to poke around some ruins. Maybe we can see some mummies."

Ron started searching his pockets for the portkey he had. "Do you need to go change for the ruins?"

Ginny bit her lip to keep from laughing or blushing in front of her brother. They had just undergone a thorough 'changing' with each other back at Potter Manor. "Hermione and I need to go get our trainers and some sturdier pants on I suppose. We'll be back in a few minutes guys."

Hermione was going to give Harry a kiss but thought better of it with Ron there. The two girls hurried up the stairs to change. Harry was suddenly a little nervous around Ron. Ron didn't make things any better with the next words he said. "Sorry to have to tell you this but there's a Weasley family meeting tonight about you three."

"Have we done something to get your Dad or Mum mad at us?"

"I think Mum wants to clear up any false impressions or bad feelings before we all head back for Hogwarts. She said you'd be getting separate quarters from the Gryffindor dorms but she didn't want any of us standing guard on Ginny."

"Ron, I…"

"Don't want to know! It's bad enough seeing you guys snogging for Merlin's sake. Gives me funny feeling in my stomach, it does."

"Okay, I'll tell them to expect to have a sit down and chat after supper."

"Could you tell them this was not my idea? It's bad enough having Ginny mad at me but you and Hermione on top of it might be too much."

"It's okay Ron; we won't blame you. We've been expecting something like this for a while. It's just one of those family things."

Ron looked a little perplexed at Harry's words but the girls came rushing back down the stairs. Ron finally remembered the portkey actually wasn't in his pocket but lying on the dining room table. Ron made sure everyone was touching the pillowcase when he said the word that activated it. The four disappeared with a whoosh and appeared at a deserted spot out in the desert.

Ron panicked initially because he didn't see anybody or anything around for quite a ways. Harry tapped him on the shoulder and pointed out the group of footsteps that led off toward a small cliff that was a couple hundred yards away. Harry and the others walked across the desert and Harry wished he had thought to bring hats. The sun was awful bright and it was hot out.

Ginny, seeing the sweat coming off everybody's faces, cast a cooling charm that covered the four of them. Ron felt instantly better and thanked Harry for the relief. Harry shook his head and pointed to Ginny. She had an eyebrow raised waiting for Ron to say something but he just laughed and messed up her hair. The two took off for the cave they had seen with Ginny chasing Ron all the way.

Hermione threw her arm around Harry's waist. "That looks perfectly normal. Ginny chasing after her brother."

Harry turned and gave her a peck on the cheek. "I'm glad they're getting along better after that little talk we had back out the house. By the way, you are cordially invited to a Weasley family meeting after supper."

Hermione stopped walking. "Is this going to be really embarrassing to us?"

"I have absolutely no idea. I'm not sure if Molly wants to check our conduct or Arthur wants to make sure that Ginny doesn't throw that bat-bogie hex at her brothers if they start making comments."

"So it's about us being married? And then things we may or may not have been doing?"

"I'm not telling anyone what we do in our bedroom. I don't want to get rude about it but it may come to that."

Harry and Hermione were going to talk more but they saw the twins coming out holding spare hats for them. Harry had to laugh though. Somehow Fred and George had found or conjured up a pair of beekeepers bonnets for themselves to wear and you could barely see their faces. The defended their choice as making it so they couldn't even accidentally swallow a bug underground.

The hats Fred and George brought out looked like something Harry had seen on a safari movie once and Hermione was quick to identify them as Pith helmets. Harry felt a little silly putting it on but he had to admit it helped keep the sun off his face and that made him feel cooler.

Bill and the rest of the Weasleys had only been at the cave for about 10 minutes and Bill was giving them a list of safety instructions. Jacques came up to shake Harry's hand and say hi to Hermione and Ginny. Bill had given him permission to take pictures of the tomb as it had been officially cleared out of artifacts.

The cave itself led to a ramp and a tomb that had four levels underground. The tour lasted a couple of hours as Bill described what he had done to clear the curses and other protections the tomb had. Between the digging and curse breaking it had taken almost five months to get to the point where the gold and other artifacts could be removed from the structure. The tomb was empty now except for a lot of hieroglyphics on some walls and the oil torches that were used for lighting. Jacques took some pictures of the Weasleys in front of some of the more impressive looking walls.

They were on the way back to the entrance when Harry stopped suddenly beside one wall that had a number of arrows and other paintings on it. Everybody continued on for about 20 seconds before they noticed Harry wasn't with them.

When they turned back to find him, Harry had both hands extended in front of him and a number of hieroglyphics were glowing blue on the wall. Ginny called out to Harry and he backed away from the wall slowly; the blue glow disappeared and Harry sagged briefly against the opposite wall. Mrs. Weasley was the first to get to him and she held him up until Ron and Hermione could get their arms around him to support him.

Harry took about a 30 second rest and then he straightened up. He looked around a bit and just shook his head. "I'm really okay; there was just something about this wall."

Bill had been outlining the markings that he saw glowing and then came over to see if Harry was all right. "Anytime you want a summer job; I'd be willing to hire you Harry. We didn't pay any attention to this wall because we had already found the main tomb. The hieroglyphics that just responded to you (or vice versa) says there's another hallway behind that wall that leads to "something'. I'll have to get the official translator and the diggers back here tomorrow."

Harry was 'receiving' some anxious questions from Ginny and Hermione but told them he was really quite fine. "I think I've had enough of tomb explorations for one day. How about we go home and get some supper?"


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30 – A Family Meeting and Treasures Found

The group had returned to the "Pottery" to find that both Tride and Dobby were in the midst of creating a supper worthy of the best efforts of the Hogwarts kitchens. The two house elves had greeted every person by name when they ported back in and showed them a table in the dining room covered by a variety of dishes. While everyone scrambled to wash up for supper, Harry thanked both the house elves for choosing to return to Egypt. Both bowed a little and said there really wasn't a choice in the matter and they wanted to be where the Lord of the House was.

There was enough food to send Jacques back to his apartment with almost a week's worth of leftovers as well as what Bill was going to take back to his place. Jacques flooed home after saying that he would return in the morning. The rest of the family had headed for the roof and the meeting. Arthur and Molly were the last to climb the staircase and see where everyone was sitting.

Molly waited until everyone had settled before she stood up. "I called this meeting for a number of reasons. This is a big year for all of you that are going back to school and I thought William would like to contribute some advice."

'William' groaned from his place next to Arthur. "Mum, I'm not 11 anymore. I've been going by Bill since my second year at Hogwarts. Could you use the name I like?"

Molly pretended to think for a second but then shook her head. "Until you bring a girlfriend home to your parents that uses that name, you are stuck with what we call you."

Harry snickered. 'This was off to a good start' he thought.

That brought a round of applause from the twins and a pointed wand back at them from Bill. Molly shifted her gaze from William to the next oldest son present. "Percy is to be Head Boy this year; the second of Arthur and my sons to hold that honor. He deserves some sort of recognition for all the hard work and studying he has done over the last couple of years."

'_**Let's not forget his swimming naked in the prefect's bath also.'**_ Harry thought he saw Ginny's mouth curl up to one side as she made that comment.

A round of mixed applause brought Percy to his feet and he thanked everyone for the recognition. Arthur stood and told Percy that he was the eldest and the first to hand out a piece of advice. "Trust your good judgment but make sure it's a good judgment." He sat and then everyone took their turn.

Molly. "Never let your friends down or forget where you came from."

Bill. "Don't be Head Boy to the exclusion of everything else. There's studies and Hogsmeade weekends to enjoy."

Percy nodded and looked toward the twins. "Don't blame us for everything that goes wonky this year…"

"…it might still be us but assign some of the detentions elsewhere."

That brought a groan from Hermione but she spoke up as she was pointed to by Molly. "Congratulations Percy but try not to get too overstressed in this busy year for you."

Harry. "Don't lock yourself in your room revising when you aren't patrolling the hallways. There's those of us that would like to talk to you from time to time."

Ron. "Could you assign my detentions to the kitchens? If I have to be punished, I'd rather be there than with Snape."

"Ronald!"

"Sorry Mum. Professor Snape. But you know it's going to happen."

Ginny was the last one to take her turn giving advice to her brother. She got up and walked over to him and hugged him. "Don't be a prat about the 814 Rules of Proper Conduct at Hogwarts. Okay?"

That brought a rare laugh from Percy and he thanked everyone for their advice and said he would try to remember it all. George asked if he wanted a written list and Percy threatened to take points from him for his cheek. George and Fred both pretended to tremble and cower fearfully from their brother.

Molly stood up and came to stand before Gred and Forge at that point. She stared at them for a bit before saying anything. "Would you at least try to study a bit more this year? And I'd like your word that it will be at least a week before the Headmaster or Professor McGonagall writes us a letter about your behavior."

"We'll try Mum.."

"… but some people just seemed to run across us at the wrong moments."

"The wrong moment being anytime between sunrise and midnight?" Bill said to the enjoyment of everyone but their mother. She shook her head and retreated to sit back with her husband.

"Ron."

"Yes Dad?"

"We've already had our talk with you so you know what we expect of you this year."

"Yes. I understand."

Ron became quiet and Ginny expected to be the next one to be addressed by her parents. She wasn't and an awkward silence settled on the roof as everyone felt there were still some things to be said.

Bill eventually cleared his throat and spoke. "I guess that just leaves…"

"The three of us" Harry said. "You can't talk about one of us without talking about all of us. I hope this is some more advice from everyone because we could use it. We might not follow it…"

"But we're more than ready to hear it" Hermione stated.

Molly Weasley straightened up and patted her husband's hand. "Arthur and I have stayed late up a number of nights this summer talking about our daughter, her husband and our new daughter-in-law. Such a weird thing to say, even now. We couldn't possibly imagine any other two people who have meant so much or been through so much for and with Ginny in the last two years."

"Percy is going to be looked at, critiqued and held up to all sorts of ridicule this year in his role as Head Boy. That is nothing compared to what is going to be happening to Ginny, Hermione and Harry. There hasn't been a married couple at Hogwarts since… Hermione ?"

"1934 – Phillip and Josephina Clarkson graduated that year."

"Thank you dear. I had a feeling you would know that."

"You're welcome… Mum."

Arthur picked up the conversation. "You boys are going to be hearing a lot of rumors, speculations and outright lies about Ginny, Harry and Hermione. There will be tales spread about them and people saying that Ginny and Hermione have sold their bodies for money and fame. Or Harry somehow buying or cheating to get married. Everyone will think you know all the answers to all their questions because you're related."

Arthur paused at that point and saw the outright anger on his son's faces as well as Harry's. "Rage and revenge against others are only going to complicate the year for Ginny and the others. Your mum and I wanted to make sure that everyone understands their marriage before everyone goes back to Hogwarts. A question first- How many beds are in the master suite here? Just a show of fingers please."

Percy put up three fingers immediately, Ron put up two and the twins glared at Harry for a second and held up one finger apiece. Bill just turned and stared at Harry. Harry tried to keep his features composed as he fought back a growing need to defend himself and his wives.

"The correct answer to that question is – I'm not sure because it's not my business."

Percy jumped to his feet. "But Mum it's not proper for Harry to be sleeping with Ginny or Hermione! He might be doing…they could be… How can you sit there so calmly?"

'_**He's one to talk after being caught starkers with his girlfriend!'**_

'_**Ginny, I think your Mum and Dad are trying to help.'**_

"I can sit here calmly because I'm the mother to all of you and understand better than most that Ginny is bound heart and soul to the other two and they are legally married. I don't especially like it that they may be … intimate at some level with each other but I can understand where love leads you sometimes. And these three obviously love each other. They've agreed to take it slow and, after I talked it over with your father, we've granted them our blessing for a one time consummation of their marital privileges."

"One-time consummation? What the bloody hell does that mean?"

"Ronald Bilius Weasley! Language!"

Harry had covered his face at Molly's words and Ginny had buried her head into a shocked Hermione's shoulder. Bill, Percy and the twins had stood as they understood what their mother had been getting to. Harry looked at their faces and stood quickly. He wasn't going to allow anyone to attack Ginny or Hermione. Even if it was Ginny's brothers. He wasn't particularly worried about himself at the moment but he felt Ginny stand beside him and Hermione likewise leaping to her feet.

Everyone flinched as Molly erupted. "**Enough!** If you can't stand to see the facts then Ginny and both her families will suffer! **Sit down** all of you. This is a different situation we are discussing. Not Ginny Weasley and her friends. It's Ginny Potter and her husband and wife. Those two sitting with her over there are both married to your sister. That grants them license to be …physical with each other."

The Weasleys retook their seats but not without a lot of muttering and glances at Ginny and Harry. Hermione was a little worried that Ginny's brothers would never understand or forgive Harry.

Harry raised his hand carefully. "Molly…Mum can I explain your statement to Ron and the others?"

Molly looked to her husband who nodded once. "Okay but you should know. Weasleys are notorious for losing their tempers over the silliest things."

"Our marriage is not silly!" came simultaneously from the two Mrs. Potters.

'_**Thanks Nonnie, Gin.'**_

Harry look at the faces of five brothers who would just as soon chuck him off the side of the roof right now as look at him. "I've always considered myself as nothing special or attractive. Merlin knows I wasn't given a lot of affection or encouragement growing up. Imagine my surprise when two young attractive witches said they wanted to spend time with me. As friends – nothing more than an occasional hug to express our happiness at being with each other. Kissing was an unknown word in my vocabulary; it happened to other people - not me."

"We had this improbable soul bond happen to us. Ginny and Hermione both kissed me after the soul bond started to take effect. I tried resisting my desire to kiss them back but it's a difficult thing to do. It's part of the soul bond that's grown between us; it's added to the natural attraction that we had, have to each other."

"The magic makes you want to snog?" Greg asked.

"I need to learn a spell like that." Forge quipped.

Harry smiled as Arthur coughed once to make sure Harry could continue. "The soul bond enhances the feelings we have for each other. As we totally bonded with each other we became _legally_ married. Totally impossible for someone our ages I know. We have told you that for a number of days we couldn't physically separate; that resulted in us to sharing a bed. I have always been content to just hold and kiss your sister and Hermione. It's the greatest feeling in the world for me; having that love and security. We found other ways to show that love to each other. Ways that did not include shagging…"

"Are you saying the soul bond is making you do more than simple snogging?" Bill asked a little skeptically. "That's a pretty lame excuse to my way of thinking."

Harry saw the impatient looks from Ginny and Hermione. "No excuse then Bill. I'm not blaming the soul bond magic. Rather it's love; I'd do anything to see a smile or that look of love from Hermione or Ginny. We agreed that we would take things slowly and that shagging would really have to wait. We're just too young emotionally for that."

"However…" Ginny said as she came over to kiss Harry. She looked at each of her brothers, daring them to object. Ron was confused but gave her a grudging nod.

"That party we had at Potter Manor was a great time for everybody." Molly got herself back in the conversation. "Unfortunately we were told some distressing news at the same time. There is a legal way for someone to dispute and have Harry's, Hermione's and Ginny's marriage terminated. And with all the people that have problems with Harry just being alive, we all thought it was a probability rather than a possibility. "

"And I would do anything… anything to keep that annulment from happening." Everyone looked at the determined look on Hermione's face and wondered what 'anything' meant.

"The same for me" Ginny said quietly. "Being separated from Harry and Hermione permanently would be unthinkable."

There was a period of silence and then Percy was the one to reach the ultimate conclusion. "You… you have to prove you were intimate, really intimate if there was, is.. will be a question about the legality of your marriage."

"A complete marriage means a total commitment" Arthur said quietly. "Do you fault any of the three of them for wanting not to be split up?"

Bill made a rude sound that had his mother flinching. "No, but still…"

Ginny went over to her eldest brother and held his hand. "Does anybody here really think I could be happy anywhere else than with Harry and Hermione?"

There was no response but no one wanted to look into Ginny's face and dispute her feelings.

"What happened" Harry said, "was an act of love but also an act of legal necessity. As much in love as I am with your sister and Hermione I had no intentions of going all the way with either of them for the foreseeable future. And the only alternative we could think of was to leave the country and leave the Weasley and Granger families behind. I just couldn't do that to them or to you. So we took the step to protect our marriage. So blame the Ministry of Magic for its archaic legal system. Or hold the act against me."

"And me" said Ginny.

"And me also" Hermione said as she hugged Harry.

A very stern warning came from one couch. "So now you know one secret about the Potters. You speak of it to anybody and it won't be Harry, Ginny and Hermione after you. It will be me and Arthur."

Bill, Percy, Fred, George, and Ron stared at the seriousness of their mother's face and immediately forgot the conversation that had been going on for the last ten minutes. It was much safer for their well-being that way.

Ginny cleared her throat and looked at her brothers. "Just to make sure we're all clear on this, Harry and his wives are not acting like bunnies and shagging every second. We are not shagging at all. It happened once and won't happen again for a long time. Is that ok with my brothers now?"

Ginny waited until everyone nodded. "Thank you. Any other questions anybody wants to ask about our love life?"

Percy, Bill and Ron shook their heads very emphatically. Fred and George hesitantly held up their hands and Ginny wished she hadn't asked the question at all.

"Now that we know our good friend…

"…and brother-in-law Harry has some experience with _women, _we were wondering…

"Harry is **not **handing out tips to you two."

Arthur smiled but Molly let out a deep sigh. It was so typical that the twins of all people would try to take a humorous advantage in the middle of a serious discussion. At least it meant they had come to terms with their sister's marriage.

Arthur stood and came over to where Harry, Hermione and Ginny sat. "We parents always don't get a say in whom and how our children fall in love with others. I'm glad Ginny has Harry and Hermione and think they'll have a long and happy marriage together. They would like to have your approval and respect while at school. They deserve that for all they've gone through individually and together. Besides I'd much rather have you on their side than opposing them."

"It seems only fair fellows" Bill said.

Hermione got up and hugged Arthur. "That was great speech Dad. Thank you Bill for that support."

She turned to look at her other brothers-in law. "Harry, Ginny and I promise to control ourselves and act respectable in public at school. We don't want anyone to have any reason to talk about our behavior."

Percy spoke up. "There are about 40 specific rules for conduct of married people on that list you were talking about earlier."

George and Fred threw a blanket over Percy. "It's okay; we won't turn you in to the Head Boy for any violations we see."

Percy fought his way free. "I was just mentioning it because certain Professors, one in particular, will be looking to hand out punishments to the new spouses. I'm trying not to be such a stick in the mud as certain people have been telling me I am."

Harry nodded at his brother–in-law. "Thanks Percy."

Molly stood up and went to stand by Arthur. "I think that concludes every topic we had for the Weasley family meeting. It's very late so I think everyone should turn in."

"Bill your welcome to bunk out here on the roof if you want" Harry said. "We can have some blankets and pillows sent up."

"Thanks but I've gotten used to my bed. Maybe some other night though." Bill got up and started saying goodbye to everyone. Ginny held out her arms for a hug and Bill picked her up and spun her around. "This is still ok with your husband, isn't it?"

"It better be" Ginny said with a laugh. "See you in the morning Bill."

The twins, Percy, Arthur and Molly all followed Bill down the stairs. That left Ron staring at the married trio. "Yes Ron?"

"This was a lot to take in but I guess I'm glad you are all happy together. I just wanted to wish you all a good night's sleep."

"That's nice of you Ron" Hermione said.

"The more and better sleep you have – the less you have time for messing around!" Ron laughed and skipped out of the way of Ginny's swing. "Good night anyway."

Harry smiled at Ron's back as he headed down the stairs and pulled Ginny down to sit in his lap. "That went well I think."

"Just the normal Weasley jokes and pranks to put up with when we get back" Hermione said.

"And some support and help I think" Ginny said.

Hermione kissed Ginny and Harry as they sat. "We never did have to answer that question of how many beds are in the master suite."

"It's so hard to count when it's dark in there." Harry whispered in Ginny's ear.

'_**What's hard? Where?'**_

Harry blushed as his wives led him to the stairway down to their bedroom. Maybe he wasn't that tired after all.

Xxxx xxxx

Harry was up and down to the kitchen early the next morning. He was in the midst of fixing up the fillings for crepes when Dobby and Tride came up from the little basement their quarters were in. Dobby tried to make Harry sit down so he could cook but Harry laughed and set him making toast and finding some fruits for breakfast. Tride who was getting teas, coffees and juices ready for everyone asked what else he could do to help.

Having a sudden idea, Harry asked Tride if he was any good with flowers. "What kind are you looking for Lord Harry?"

"Roses, I wanted to have some white and yellow roses to give to Mrs. Weasley."

Tride nodded once and promptly disappeared. He came back about 30 seconds later with a small bouquet of the roses in a vase. He put them down in the middle of the dining table and said he had gone back to Potter Manor for them.

"Thank you Tride." Harry went back to making the crepes for everyone and asked Dobby to go wake up the Weasley's. Harry stopped before Dobby disappeared and amended that request to have Dobby knock on everyone's door. He had a vision of the house elf suddenly popping into the bedroom of Molly and Arthur; it wasn't pretty.

Harry sent a 'mental wakeup call' to Hermione and Ginny and discovered that they were dressed and about to come down. It was only a matter of minutes before they came down with the twins and Ron rushing after them. Percy, Arthur and Molly came down just as platters began appearing on the table.

"So what's all this?" Ron asked Harry.

"Apple and strawberry crepes and a little whipped cream for topping. There's rashers of bacon and toast and marmalade. Ginny, I didn't forget you either. That plate in front of you has crepes filled with bananas and chocolate sauce."

Molly sat down and noticed the flowers. Harry blushed a little as he told her that the roses were hers for being so helpful the night before with everyone. When Molly got up to kiss Harry, Arthur jokingly said he shouldn't make a habit of giving roses to somebody else's wife. Ginny and Hermione laughingly said Harry had been given special permission because of the occasion. Everyone dug into breakfast just as Jacques flooed in. He helped himself to a plate and made a decent account of himself eating. He did take a picture of Ron when he went back for thirds but promised it probably wouldn't make the Prophet.

Bill came through the floo all excited about five minutes later. "There's huge news everyone. That wall Harry found yesterday; it hides a doorway that goes to another passageway and another tomb. The workers are still clearing out the passageways and I've got to go back and make sure the area is safe. By this afternoon I think I can show you what a new tomb with all its treasures looks like."

Everyone was congratulating Bill and clapping Harry on the back for the find. Jacques raised his voice and asked if it was ok to come along and take pictures of the new tomb. Bill said he would send an eagle to Gringotts and ask permission but he thought it would be okay. Bill stole the last two crepes off of Ron's plate before going to the floo and returning to his work.

As the twins helped Dobby clean off the table, Harry said that he had to go back to the Egyptian Ministry for a little while. He had he had lost the addresses to the other properties that he owned around Cairo and needed to go back and get a copy of those addresses. Hermione and Ginny volunteered to go with him as they wanted to thank Ambassador Ferventon for the use of the car and his secretary the other night. Jacques said he had another photography assignment he needed to take care of and he would return later.

The twins and Ron asked their parents if they could go back to the joke shop and do some more shopping. All the departures left Arthur and Molly with the run of the house and they said they would go up and watch the morning from the roof. Percy was going to back to his room and revising. Harry told Tride and Dobby that they could restock the kitchen or just relax for the morning. Both looked a little confused at the lack of directions.

Harry, Ginny and Hermione returned an hour later. They were a little more touchy-feely than normal as they came through the floo but separated when they saw Arthur and Molly sitting and having another pot of tea. Arthur asked them what put them all in a good mood and Harry said that Sally had told them a few stories about her husband Karl and Bill. Molly asked "Bill who?" and everyone laughed at the joke.

Harry was just pouring tea for Hermione when Ron, Fred and George returned from Wazir's Wadi. All three had bulging sacks and Harry wasn't sure if he wanted to ask them when they had bought.

Ginny asked if everyone wanted to go check out the other properties with her, Harry and Hermione. Ginny's brothers rushed upstairs and brought a complaining Percy back down with them. Arthur asked if Percy wanted to take a break from revising and he had to think about it for a long time before agreeing to put his books away.

Harry wasn't too sure about the directions to get to the two places he owned but Molly had an idea. She made a floo call to Jacques and said that they needed a large taxi to carry everyone to an address. To Jacques credit he showed up about twenty-five minutes later with a minivan and a driver. Harry gave the driver the address he had and they drove through some narrow winding streets to an industrial area with a lot of storage buildings. They stopped at a medium sized building in a street filled with similar structures.

Arthur paid the driver for their ride but asked him to wait until they came back. Harry and the others circled the white concrete building until they came to a locked door, Harry simply banished the lock and the group went inside. Harry was going to magically light up the dark interior space but Hermione said she had found some electrical switches. She turned the lights on and a series of big spotlights in the ceiling slowly came on and everyone saw what had been hidden in the building.

Absolutely nothing. The space was empty except for some clusters of cobwebs in the corners which Ron made sure to avoid. Harry felt a little disappointed that there wasn't anything that his father or other ancestors might have left. They had all turned around and were heading for the door when Hermione stopped.

"Harry?"

"Yes love?"

"Am I wrong or is there some magic still in here?"

Harry came back to stand by Hermione's side and extended his senses. He smile and nodded. "Good catch Hermione."

The Weasleys had stood still waiting to see what Hermione and Harry had found. They watched Harry bring out his wand and wave it once. "Finite Incantatem!"

The air shimmered in the middle of the floor and the empty space was replaced by a large grey canvas tarp. It seemed to be supported at three points; center, front and back. Whatever was under the tarp seemed to be long, thin and high. The twins immediately started making guesses about what was hidden underneath.

"Ron."

"What Harry?"

"Come on up here."

Ron and Ginny walked up to where Harry and Hermione were studying the tarp. "What do you think it is Harry?"

"I don't know Ron but I'm going to let you uncover it."

"Really? Thanks mate." Ron pulled his wand out of his pocket and looked at the canvas. He cleared his throat once and waved his wand with a sharp gesture. "Wingardium Leviosa!"

'_**He still doesn't have that pronunciation quite right.'**_

'_**It's ok Hermione – its close enough.'**_

The tarp didn't rise smoothly like everyone expected but seemed to catch at a number of points on whatever was beneath it. The tarp finally floated off toward the ceiling and everybody stared at the hidden treasure.

"What the heck is that doing here?"

"That can't be right."

"No way that exists here in Egypt."

"Harry that isn't a disillusionment spell covering something else?"

"I'm pretty sure it's what it looks like Mr. Weasley."

Jacques was taking a lot of pictures as the eight witches and wizards walked carefully around getting a good look at the object. It wasn't what one expected to find on a Thursday morning. Hermione's voice was hushed but carried through the not so empty building. "It's a real Viking longship. What—how—why?" Hermione ran out of words to express her confusion.

The ship was about seventy feet long and about twelve foot wide at its widest point. There was a twenty-five foot tall mast with what appeared to be a rolled up canvas sail strapped to it. Harry counted and there were ten holes for oars on each side with a huge bowsprit and tailsprit. The bowsprit was carved into a rearing dragon head with a wooden flame coming out of its mouth. The whole ship was set up on a series of big concrete blocks and there was a gangplank that led down to the floor on the side away from them.

The twins were about to walk up the gangway to take a look at the interior of the ship but Mr. Weasley called out a warning. "Don't touch anything. You have no idea of whether it has been booby-trapped or had curses put upon it. I think it would be best if Bill took a good look at it first before anyone goes mucking around."

Although it was very tempting to look at further, Harry and the others realized that Ginny's dad was probably right. It would be better to have a professional take a look at it and clear it for inspection. Ron reluctantly cancelled the spell holding up the canvas and it settled back over the ship. There was a ten minute discussion about how a Viking raider ship ended up in tropical Egypt. Hermione's guess that the Vikings had been caught up in a big storm and blown seriously off course seemed to make the most sense to Harry but there was no way of knowing what the real tale was.

The group finally decided to leave the mystery of the longship for later and left the building. Harry sealed the doors using a little bit of the bond magic and everyone climbed back in the taxi for the next destination and property. Another twenty minute drive brought them to an old abandoned garage with a lot of old cars surrounding the building. Everyone got out and took a look around the corner property. There wasn't much to see with all the clutter and Harry wasn't about to use magic to clean up or make a pathway to the front doors in broad daylight

They were stopped from any other any further investigating when Dobby popped into existence right in front of Harry. The house elf apologized for interrupting everything but he said "Bill Wheezy" had returned to the house and was waiting for everyone to return. Harry turned back and was going to tell everyone to return to taxi but stopped himself. He went back to the taxi driver and gave him a tip and dismissed him.

Harry gathered everyone around him and told them that it was time to go back home. He asked Molly to cast a notice-me-not spell on everyone. When he was positive that no one was looking in their direction he asked Dobby to transport them all back. Dobby snapped his fingers once and everyone returned to the ground-floor patio.

Tride had begun setting lunch up when Bill had flooed in and the dining room table was full of drinks and food when everyone reappeared. Bill was amazed as Ginny and his father began describing what they had found at the warehouse. He had no idea what an ancient longship was doing in modern Cairo but promised to take a look at it when he could spare a bit of time from his work.

Everyone thanked Tride for the lunch and everyone went and retrieved their head and foot gear for the trip back to the dig site. When everyone was ready again, Bill made another portkey out of a large platter. He activated it when everyone was touching it and then there was only the two house elves left doing a bit of cleanup duty.

Xxxx xxx

Everyone appeared at the same site as before but this time Harry ended up on the bottom of a pile that included Ginny and Hermione. Everyone tried keeping a straight face as the three Potters floundered a little bit in getting untangled and finding their legs in the soft sand. It took spells from both Arthur and Molly to get all the sand off their clothes and hair.

'_**You are so washing out all of the places I got sand in Mr. Potter.'**_

'_**Was that a threat or an invitation Nonnie?"**_

"_**It's an invitation from me Jamie but it really does itch a bit.'**_

'_**Duly noted and I will take great pleasure in inspecting you for redness then Vixen.'**_

Ginny's giggle was greeted with a strange look from her father but Harry had already grabbed her elbow and began walking her and Hermione toward the cave mouth. The group of visitors was met by a rather large person. Harry estimated him about 6' 4" and maybe 16 stone (240 lbs.) but his face was wide open in a grin as he greeted Bill and his family. "This must be the infamous Weasley clan. Wild Bill's told me all about you."

'_**Wild Bill; there's a story I've got to hear'**_ Ginny told the others.

Bill cast a backward glance at his mother before introducing the man. "Everyone, this is Karl Forrester – Sally's sometimes intelligent husband. He came over to help me clear up the traps and curses we found in the complex." Karl was very gracious about shaking hands and greeting everyone. He seemed to recognize everyone by sight and he made the typical confusion of calling Fred and George each other's names.

"And this must be the little sparkplug Ginny Weasley" Karl said as he bent and kissed Ginny's hand. Hermione gripped Harry's shoulder in warning; it was just a friendly greeting – not something for Harry to get upset about.

"Sorry, Mr. Forrester. That's only half right; I'm Ginny alright, but it's Ginny Potter now. This is Harry and Hermione."

Karl's grin wavered just a bit as he shook Harry's hand. "The Harry Potter?"

"Only one I know of" Harry replied.

"Sorry, I've been stuck out here a lot. Don't get a chance to meet brother-in-laws very often."

Harry smiled. "Then we're even; I don't get to meet secretary's husbands too much."

Karl bent over laughing and clapped Harry on the shoulder. "You're okay. I guess we have you to thank for the new discovery."

The rest of the group had come over and caught the end of the conversation. "So what did Harry tumble onto?" Arthur said.

"As far as we've been able to determine, it's either an aunt or cousin of the royal prince that we discovered in the original tomb. She was buried with full honors and a full complement of slaves to tend to her in the afterlife."

Ron gulped. "The buried slaves alive to tend to dead people?"

Bill lowered his voice so that the ladies present wouldn't hear what he said. "Sometimes the slaves that built the tomb were killed so they couldn't divulge any of the secrets of how to get in. Other times the slaves of the person were killed first or entombed alive so they died in the dark."

"That sounds awful gruesome" Percy commented.

"Tour starts over here" Karl called out.

"Can I get some pictures of everyone first outside?" Jacques asked. Karl looked toward Bill and nodded. Ginny wouldn't let Harry and Hermione escape the group photo this time and dragged them in front of a low wall to pose. The three Potters sat with their legs crossed on the ground with Harry sitting between his two wives. George, Ron and Fred knelt behind the three with Ron resting his hands on Harry's shoulders. The last row was composed of Bill, Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley and Percy. Harry had a lot of trouble keeping a straight face as George and Fred were making comments of selling this photo for money back at Hogwarts.

"Between our good looks and all the witches that are still pining over Harry, we should make a lot of galleons."

Hermione and Ginny reached back and grabbed the twin's calves causing them to fall over. Jacques waited until everyone promised to behave before he set everyone up again. This time the shot came off almost perfectly. Harry felt a weight land on his shoulder just as Jacques clicked the camera. Harry turned to look and found Scabbers sitting on his shoulder. He screeched loudly in surprise. Hermione brushed the rat away just as it jumped for safety. Harry reacted and brought his wand out and stunned the rodent before it could hit the ground and scamper away.

"Ron!" The cry came from Molly's mouth. "What have I told you about that rat?"

"Harry! You killed him."

Ginny scramble over and picked up Ron's pet. "He's okay. Just a little stunned or a lot asleep."

Ron took the rat from her sister's hands. "You shouldn't have done that Harry."

Hermione turned quickly to glare at Ron. "Actually Ron, you ought to thank Harry for having a little bit of control. If Scabbers dropped on my shoulder like that, I might have blasted him into pieces first and asked questions later."

"But Hermione he's just a harmless little rat with a claw missing."

Bill came over and stopped Ron from complaining. "Harry might have just saved his life by stunning him. There's all sorts of predators out here just waiting for an old and confused rodent."

Arthur stepped up to Ron too. "Just put him back in your pocket and make sure he doesn't get loose again. It he gets away underground, you may not find him again. Apologize to Harry; it wasn't his fault that Scabbers startled him."

"Sorry Harry, I'll keep better track of him. Awful considerate of you not to kill him – I appreciate it."

"It's okay Ron. Just keep him away from me and Hermione – that just gave me the cold chills."

Karl clapped his hands for everyone's attention. "I'll lead the way in and Bill will bring up the rear. It's a fair bit of a walk but don't stray away from everyone and especially don't touch anything. We think we've got rid of all the cursed items in there but some only become active when they're handled. Is that understood? O'Brien, let me or Bill know where and when you want to take pictures."

Jacques nodded and joined the line of people entering the tomb. The first part of the walk was just a repeat of the tour that had taken before. The change came about when they came to the wall that Harry had stopped at; there was a jagged hole now where blocks had been removed. The passageway beyond was mostly dark but there was a flickering shadow from distant lights.

Karl took up one of the torches that were lying on top of the removed blocks and ducked into the tunnel. The Weasleys and Potters followed in single file with people taking other torches as they felt the need. One could tell that this passageway had only recently been opened. There was a staleness to the air and the dust on the floor was broken only with the footsteps of the couple of people who had proceeded them. The markings and paintings on the wall seemed fresher and more vibrant to Harry's untrained eye.

The walk lasted three or four hundred yards before they came to a side tunnel. Karl announced in a loud voice that nobody was to go down the branch. Hermione who, was walking near the back close to Bill, asked him what was so dangerous. Bill just grimaced briefly and said it was the slave tomb. "Corpses and bones, and nothing else."

Passing further on, the group went through a brief section of twisting passages and short up and down changes in elevation. The word was passed back from Karl to be careful as this was the section that contained the most traps and curses. Everyone walked carefully with a cautious eye on all the walls.

Relics and treasures began making their appearances as they regained a straight tunnel. A large vase here, a few chests displayed but still locked in a recessed slot. A final turn brought them to the main room. It took a while to grasp the extent and magnitude of the treasures that were buried with the deceased woman. Statues of gold, silver and bronze stood guard along the walls with a large statue of a man with a wolf or dog's head. "That's Anubis – the God of the Dead and Embalming" whispered Bill. It just didn't seem to be a place to talk aloud. It seemed disrespectful.

Ornate furniture made of gold and other precious metals was scattered around the room. There were giant vases that Karl said were full of oil and food for the afterlife. It was a little surreal seeing this little slice of ancient life. There were large portraits of other figures painted on the walls. Karl pointed them out to everyone and gave a brief description. "Ra- the Sun God, that's Hathor- the goddess of Love and Hope. Atum was the first and creator of all the other gods. Nepthys was the protective goddess of the dead. All these paintings were placed here to help guide and protect the soul on its journey to the afterlife."

"And that's where the mummy is?" asked Ron pointing. On a raised platform in the center of the room was a carved stone box. It rose about four feet off the floor of the platform and was ornately decorated along the sides and top. A crude depiction of a woman lying on her back formed the top of the box.

"That's the sarcophagus Ron. It's the outer layer of protection and preservation for the mummy inside. It made out of granite to keep people from getting access to the interior and the mummy inside. The might be up to 4 additional layers of coffins inside before one gets to the wrapped mummy in the middle."

"The goblins don't have any uses for the mummies do they? There not cut up or used in potions and such are they?"

"No Hermione. The sarcophagi and the mummies inside are turned over to the Egyptian Ministry of Magic in cases like this. The Minister makes arrangements to turn over everything to the muggle Egyptian government. It's all handled with a measure of respect and reverence."

Everyone stared around the burial chamber for a number of minutes just absorbing this sight that was mostly unseen by magical people. Karl eventually broke the spell and said he had to leave to get back to his own dig site.

Everybody reluctantly moved toward the exit. The group kind of broke into three separate bodies as they made their way back through the tunnels. Arthur, Molly and Jacques stayed with Karl and talked about the other sites he had been working on since he came to Egypt and the difficulties of his separation from his wife during the week.

Percy, George and Fred walked out talking to Bill about school and the next time he might have an opportunity to come home. Bill was also pumping his brothers for some more details about his sister and her spouses.

That left Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione to walk and talk about almost everything from summer homework to the candies and tricks he had just bought. They were in the middle of the twisty part of the passageway when Harry suddenly stopped, eyes moving to the high dark ceiling. Ginny and Hermione stopped right beside him and stared at Harry; Ron however continued to walk and talk for another couple of paces before he stopped.

'_**Wands ready. I thought I saw something move up there in the shadows.'**_

"What's the matter? Forget about the transfiguration essay with the excitement of the honeymoon guys?" Ron turned to find that Harry, Ginny and Hermione had pulled their wands.

"It was joke. Honestly I wouldn't make fun of you for something like that."

'_**Ginny, talk to him. Now. He trusts you the most.'**_

Ron had backed up a step in response to the wands. Ginny's growl froze him in his tracks. "Ron, stop."

"What's the matter? Did I really say something wrong? I'm sorry if I did."

"Ron, you trust me right?"

"Yes, I guess so."

"Ron, dive left!"

Three wands aimed and fired at the spot Ron Weasley was standing at.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31 – Blood and Lace

_"Ron, you trust me right?"_

_"Yes, I guess so."_

_"Ron, dive left!"_

Three wands aimed and fired at the spot Ron Weasley was standing at.

Ron fell to the side screaming as something black, fuzzy and with too long legs jumped down from the ceiling. _**"Confringo!" **_came from three voices and the monster exploded as spells from Harry, Ginny and Hermione hit it at three different spots.

Bill arrived first at a full run to see a scene of unbelievable chaos. There was scarlet blood everywhere in the little section of the corridor. Clumps of skin and muscle and sections of what may have been legs of some sort littered the floor and were piled up against the walls. His brother was nowhere to be seen but a bloody Harry was bending over and helping to pick up a section of the flooring that was lumpy, dark and covered with chunks of matter. The piece of the flooring turned out to be Ron whose back was littered with blood and pieces of something just awful smelling.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley arrived on the scene to see that her son was dripping blood and body parts from his back as he got to a standing position. Molly screamed and would have fainted except for the support of her husband and Jacques O'Brien. Karl and Bill cast 'Lumos' spells to illuminate the scene as they looked over the mess. The larger of the curse breakers began looking at the pieces of attacker to try and identify what had attempted to jump Ron. Bill came over to check and see that Ron was still breathing.

Hermione and Ginny were still scanning the ceiling with wands raised; guarding against any other creatures jumping at them. The rest of Ginny's brothers came skidding to a sudden halt as they reached the attack zone. Ron looked totally dazed as he looked at the bloodstained features of Harry. Looking further around he saw that Ginny and Hermione were splattered with blood and were trying to shake the bits of the destroyed creature off their clothes.

"Acromantula" Karl finally declared as he carefully nudged over what remained of the creature's head. "A very large one too, perhaps 15 feet long."

"What… what happened?" Ron finally said.

Harry shook his head; he didn't want to be the one to tell Ron he had been attacked by a giant venomous spider.

"Everyone outside now!" Bill was pointing and yelling for everyone to leave the tomb and get outside. Ginny wasn't sure if it was because more spiders were going to appear or there was other reasons. Ron quickly let them know what one of the problems was. "My head and back are burning."

"Off with the shirt Ron!"

Ron reached up and grabbed the collar of his shirt at the back of his neck. His hand came in contact with the remains and blood on his back and he almost fainted when he saw what was there. Harry stowed his wand away and helped stripped Ron's ruined shirt off his back. His own face and shirt was quickly starting to itch and burn where the blood had touched. Harry stripped off his shirt, casting it aside and running back for the girls.

"Sorry about this Ron." Karl reached and heaved Ron over his shoulder and took off down the corridor. That action seemed to awake and ignite everyone as they all turned to follow the running figure back to the entrance of the tomb.

When they finally reached the outside of the cave everyone saw that Karl had propped Ron up against the rocks and was hosing him down with his wand. He turned and looked at the figures of Harry, Ginny and Hermione and told everyone to hose them down to. "The blood is highly corrosive and more than a little toxic."

Harry threw his glasses toward Mrs. Weasley and he and the girls braced themselves against the rocky hillside. Bill, Percy and Arthur used the 'Aguamenti' spell to get their wands to hose the three down. After a long bit of drenching, Harry, Ginny, and Hermione turned around carefully and their speckled fronts were hosed off. Harry had gotten the worst of it as he was a little in front of Hermione and Ginny when they all had fired. He looked down at his bare skin and found a couple of painful burns across his chest and stomach. Ginny and Hermione also had a number of holes across their jumpers but seemed ok physically.

Mr. Weasley finally called out that the three seemed hosed off enough and Percy cast a drying charm on the three. Then they all turned their attention to Ron. Harry saw that his pants had further disintegrated where the blood bath had touched it. Ron was squirming in pain and a bunch of his hair on his head seemed burned away.

Harry saw that there were numerous marks that ran from the back of Ron's head all the way down his back as well as a few places on the back of his legs. Karl was trying to shield Molly's view but she wailed as she saw the damage to her son. Harry made a quick decision and stepped forward.

"Lay him down on his stomach Karl."

"No, we've got to get him to the hospital Harry to treat the burns before it scars too much."

"Now Karl, please."

Karl looked at Ron's parents and saw them looking to Harry but then agreeing. Ron was moaning as Harry, Ginny and Hermione knelt down next to him.

"Hang on Ron- we'll try to fix it."

"Hurry – really hurts. Just do something, whatever you got to do Ginny."

Harry was between Hermione and Ginny and grabbed their hands in his. Ginny laid her free hand carefully on Ron's neck while Hermione placed hers on Ron's lower back. Jacques and the others watched Harry lower his head while the girls just closed their eyes.

'_**Ginny, take charge of this. You know better than us what needs to happen.'**_

The rest of the group backed up a step as the three Potters began to glow with a soft yellow light. The brightness increased and Molly saw her daughter bite her lip in concentration. The yellow glow seemed to flow out of Harry, Hermione and Ginny and into Ron. The foursome took on a yellow glow that seemed to pulse in time with everyone's breath. The glow burnt brightly for a couple of seconds before disappearing. Harry sat back wearily as the girls released their hold and sagged into him.

Molly pulled out her wand and conjured up 3 large towels to throw across the shoulders of Harry, Hermione and Ginny. Harry was naked from the waist up but his pants front appeared to have a lot of holes in them. The girls hadn't noticed yet how much the front of their blouses had burnt away.

Ron shook his head and groaned. Arthur was the first to see that the burn marks had disappeared from his back and hurried to Ron's side. "Take it easy Ron. How are you feeling?"

Ron took a couple of long moments to check himself and then rolled over and sat up. "I'm good; great in fact. What happened?"

"Before you came outside… ." Fred started.

"…or out here?" George finished.

"The last thing I really remember is Ginny yelling for me to jump out of the way. Then there was a big splat and a lot of pain. Did I do something wrong?"

The laughter of relief from everyone rolled over Ron and he was pulled up into a hug by his mother. Arthur lifted Ginny up into a hug and Harry was hauled to his feet by Bill. Percy and Jacques both gave Hermione a hand up and she was crushed between a happy Percy and the twins.

Jacques started taking pictures of the joyful moment and wished he had a picture of Ron's ruined back before he was so miraculously healed up. The three Potters had done something he knew a trained healer would have had a longer and more difficult time doing.

Molly finally got done explaining to Ron what had happened and he seemed to sway a bit. Ron took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself. He walked over and pulled Harry out of Bill's grasp and then gave him a hug. Harry hadn't expected this and he just murmured that he was glad Ron had turned out okay. Ron moved on to give Hermione and then his sister a brief hug.

Ron slapped his head suddenly and then dug into his front pocket of his pants. He pulled out a still slumbering Scabbers and breathed a sigh of relief.

Molly Weasley almost crushed Harry's ribs in one of her trademark hugs. She was still crying a bit as she handed Harry's glasses back to him. "Thank you Harry. It was…"

Jacques cleared his throat as he came up to Bill Weasley. "I don't suppose you'll let me go back there and take pictures of that thing? Or the remains of it?"

"Definitely not. Not only do we have to go back there and clean that up that mess but now we have to go look and see if there is an active nest of those Acromantulas or that was a lone guardian. I don't know why we didn't detect it before or where it came from."

Bill slowly moved over grabbed Ron around the shoulders. "I'm sorry Ron. I never would have brought you and everyone else out here if I didn't think it was safe. Mum, Dad - I'm really sorry for all this."

Arthur came up to reassure Bill and catch another close look at his youngest son. "The important thing is that everyone is okay now. Harry are you, Ginny and Hermione all right?"

"Just a little tired I think. Well at least on my part; I won't speak for the other two."

"We all need to get home Dad."

Arthur nodded and looked around at the group again. Molly had conjured another large towel for her son and was trying to repair Ron's ruined trousers. Bill, Jacques and Karl were talking to themselves either about the Acromantula or the magical healing they had just witnessed. The twins and Percy were trying to get Harry to describe how he had first caught a glimpse of the beast. Ginny and Hermione were checking on the burn marks on their and Harry's clothes.

Bill looked terribly upset and Arthur knew he felt guilty about what had happened to his brother. He was about to step over and have a word with Bill when a snicker unexpectantly burst out of the mouth of Fred. He was pointing at Ron and George was having a hard time from breaking out in laughter himself. Arthur turned back to see what had amused the two and saw what had happened to Ron.

A lot of hair had disappeared from the back and side of Ron's head because of the Acromantula blood. The healing from Harry and the others had caused some new hair to begin sprouting in the affected areas. It wasn't the trademark Weasley red-orange however. Ron's new hair was "Oh dear" – a nice light green. Arthur threw a glare at the twins and silently warned them that this was not the time for any foolishness.

Karl sealed up the mouth of the tomb even though Harry offered to go back and clean up the mess he had made. Karl laughed and said that he just appreciated the way the three had given him a new definition of pest control. Karl waved goodbye to everyone and apparated away with a small pop.

The Weasleys and the three Potters found the platter that had been used as a portkey and Arthur activated it to take them all back to the Potter house in Cairo. Harry asked Dobby to find and bring back a bottle of firewhiskey for Arthur, Molly, Bill and Jacques. Hermione told Tride to fetch whatever else anybody would like to drink.

Nobody had a comment as Ginny told everyone that she, Hermione and Harry were headed up for a shower together and then put Harry down for a nap. They were headed upstairs when Percy said Ron still stunk a bit.

Xxxx xxxx

Harry woke up and found his head was lying in Hermione's lap. "Sorry, I crashed there for a bit. Are you and Ginny okay?"

"We're both fine although we had to chuck those outfits we were wearing. Even the trainers we were wearing had some holes in them when we got back."

"Sorry about that. I didn't think to throw up a shield to protect us."

"Nobody is worried about the clothes. Everybody is grateful Ron wasn't bitten by that spider; I guess the fangs are extremely poisonous."

"Poor Ron; he'll never want to go into a dark place by himself again."

"Actually, Dobby came up a while ago with a request from the twins and Ron. They wanted to know if I had a Beastiary book; Ron wanted to find out more about exactly what attacked him. Ginny found one in our Boundless bag and just took it down to them."

"That Acromantula could have been looking at all of us for supper; Ron was just the closest."

The conversation between them stopped as they 'heard' Ginny explode in laughter downstairs. _**'Be right up; you've got to hear what Ron just asked.'**_

"What do you suppose he just said?"

"I guess we'll find out; she's dragging him, Molly and Arthur upstairs to see us."

Harry let Hermione slip out from behind him and pulled the bed covers up a little more. He only had some boxers on and wasn't really sure what level of undress he should be in. Hermione sat on the side of the bed and they both watched the door. It wasn't long before the door was thrown open and Ginny dragged a protesting Ron in by the arm. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were close behind them and they shut the door to keep the twins from following them in.

"Feeling better now Harry?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Yes, just needed a quick nap after the amount of magic I used out there at the tombs. Is Bill still around?"

"He stuck around for a bit of supper but said he had to get back and clean up the mess you three left. He was very impressed how you dealt with that spider."

Harry noticed that Ron hadn't flinched when that "s" word was mentioned like he usually did. "So how you doing mate?"

Ron smiled a little. "A lot better than I was but I'm still a little itchy where all that stuff was on my back; Mum said a few more showers would probably take care of that. But I was wondering if I could ask you a couple of questions first."

"You can always ask us anything Ron" Hermione said before Harry could.

"Whether we answer you might be debatable" Ginny said with a smile. She was still hanging on to her brother but it was more of a hug on his arm than what she came into the room with.

"Thanks then. Could you teach me that spell – it was awesome!"

"I'm sure they can Ron but don't expect to get the same results. Those three are a bit more powerful than most adults I know." Harry was surprised Mr. Weasley admitted that but he saw that Ron and Mrs. Weasley were nodding their agreement.

"Tell my husband what you asked" Ginny said.

Ron blushed. "A simple yes or no would have been enough. You didn't need to drag me up here to embarrass me."

"Okay, it you're not going to admit it I'll tell you. Ron…"

"Oy! I can speak for myself. Harry, I asked my sister a confidential question that I hoped she wouldn't spread around. I asked her with all the savings that went back and forth between the three of you and me, what happened this afternoon didn't start a bond up between me and all you did it?"

Hermione hid her mouth behind her hand and pinched her leg to keep from laughing. Harry looked past Ron to where Arthur and Molly were smiling.

"Oh Ron, I never knew you cared that much!"

"Prat."

"At times Ron, at times."

Ginny exploded in laughter and hugged her very confused brother. Harry apologized for putting the mickey to him. "No Ron, you aren't entering into any bond with us. That would take something very extraordinary to happen. Besides, Luna wouldn't allow it anyway."

"You do owe Harry and the others a life debt for what happened this afternoon" Mr. Weasley told his son.

"Percy already explained that to me. Whatever the three of you need, you got it from me."

"All we need is your friendship and support Ron. Just the same as normal."

"Harry, I'm pretty sure you have never been normal." That got a smile from everyone else in the room but Ginny did swat Ron on the arm.

"So what was your other question for Harry, Ginny and Hermione?" Ron looked at his mother and thought a bit.

"Not that I'm complaining because I really don't want to, but do you think you could do something about the back of my head? I understand that's it's not quite a thing you can cast a "finite" on but could you get rid of this green hair?"

"I don't know Ron, I tried fixing Ginny's hair when it went wonky _**('Wonky, is it?')**_ and had no luck whatsoever."

"I know a muggle way to fix it Ron, at least until we can see if your red hair comes back in."

"Thanks Hermione, I'll pay for whatever it is."

"We can try it tomorrow if I can go to a regular muggle market."

Molly Weasley spoke up. "I think I know a charm or two that might fix it up for you Ron."

"It's bad enough with the twins making fun of me but I certainly don't want to show up at Hogwarts like this. Ginny could get away with the green clothes but I don't want Malfoy or the other Slytherins to laugh every time they see me."

"Forge and Gred could make you some spiffy hats to wear" Ginny said.

"Do I look like I want to take my life in my hands by trusting them to make something safe for me?"

Mr. Weasley laughed at that but Molly tried telling Ron that his brothers would help him out after the scare they had. Ron looked skeptical but did say he would consider it.

"So are you coming back downstairs for a bite of something Harry?"

"I guess I'd better Mrs. Weas… Molly. It wouldn't do to be kicked out of bed for my stomach rumbling in the middle of the night."

"Well, don't delay too much. Warming charms only last so long." The three Weasleys took a look around the bedroom and left Harry to get dressed. Hermione sat back down on the bed with Ginny and talked to their husband about what had happened while he was sleeping.

"Mum ran Ron through four showers back to back and checked him when he came out every time. Percy finally broke down and lent his brother some of the soap he's using. 'Something herbal and cleansing' as he said. Probably something Penelope got him."

"Or he 'borrowed' from the prefect's bathroom" Harry said.

Both girls giggled at the thought of Ginny's straight laced brother actually stealing something. "Well that seemed to do the trick of getting rid of the spider or blood or bits smell and Ron ate with his normal gusto at supper. Tride gave up about getting him refills and just brought out the platter of chicken and set it in front of him."

"Did you two eat?" Harry asked.

"No – we decided to wait for our husband."

Harry took a look at his trainers and decided another shopping trip might be on the schedule for tomorrow. He finished dressing and put on the basilisk boots and walked downstairs.

George and Fred gave Harry a round of applause as he walked down the stairs. He pulled Ginny and Hermione around so they were in front of him. "Speech, Speech!"

Harry threw a stinging hex at the twin's feet and it was Ron that applauded the results. Harry found a seat at the table and Ginny and Hermione sat down beside him. Mrs. Weasley started dishing up the plates and the three dug in and enjoyed what on and the others had left for them.

It was too hot an evening to be comfortable up on the roof so everyone sat around talking on the patio after the three ate their supper. Ron had the book on magical creatures and he kept opening it and looking at the same page over and over again. Harry finally wandered over and sat by his friend.

"Learned enough?" Harry pointed at the entry on Acromantulas that Ron kept consulting.

"I'm not sure. Of all the things to come out of the darkness, it had to be a giant spider. I'm kind of glad I didn't really get a chance to see it before you blasted it apart. But you three did such a good job of destroying it. I just had to know more about them. Do you know that they used to make armor out of the shell that surrounds their bodies? The same hard shell you three blasted through like it was butter."

"Lucky shots. Hagrid says there's a big nest of them in the Forbidden Forest if you really want to find out more."

Ron shook his head. "No way I'm exploring there now. I think I'll be a little more like Hermione and just read books about them."

"Does that mean you aren't going to take Care of Magical Creatures when we get back at Hogwarts?"

"Anything's got to be safer than what we ran into today so it should be okay. I hope."

Harry thought about Fluffy the giant three-headed dog and hoped Ron was right.

Xxxx xxx

Harry was sitting on the bed and running a comb through Ginny's hair. She was humming as she did the same for Hermione who was sitting in front of her. "Just another boring day in the Potter household" Ginny said.

"I think I've had quite enough adventure on this trip to last me for a while. How about we do normal stuff tomorrow? We've got some shopping to do for various things. Think your parents and brothers would mind if we disappeared for a while?"

"Maybe, we could always floo away somewhere and sneak back in and spend the day in our room."

"I like the way you think Hermione. Shall we practice first for tomorrow?" Harry put down the hair brush and leaned over to plant a series of kisses down Hermione's jawline. Hermione groaned just a little when Harry stopped so that he could give Ginny some kisses too.

"Lights on or off?" Hermione asked. She had already cast some silencing and privacy spells on the walls and the door. Harry pointed down with his one free hand and she made sure that the twins below them didn't think anything abnormal was going on.

Harry smiled. "It's harder to watch you get undressed in the dark."

Ginny smirked. "Don't you mean that it gets harder if you see us undress?"

"Well there's always that. You are both just so sexy."

"Flattery will get you anywhere Jamie."

Harry waggled his eyebrows. "Anywhere, Nonnie?"

"It's only limited by your imagination."

Ginny reached out and ran her hand across Harry's chest. "And we do know what kind of imagination you have."

Harry had stopped undressing with just his pants and boxers left on as he watched Ginny and Hermione. They were teasing him and each other as they 'helped' each other get undressed. Long caresses and lingering kisses to and from each other made Harry's breathing and heart rate accelerate as he watched them make out with one another. He finally cleared his throat when they got down to just having their fancy knickers on.

"See something you like husband?"

"No, not like. I see two beautiful creatures that I love with all my heart" Harry responded. "You want to continue that up on the bed here?"

Ginny laid an arm around Hermione's waist. "I guess we could go join Jamie. It's a lot more comfortable if we want to lie down."

'_**Is that lie down or get laid down?'**_

'_**Nonnie! That was a very wicked comment. I like it.'**_

Both girls turned and sprang at Harry and carried him laughing back to the middle of the bed. He spent a couple of enjoyable minutes kissing and caressing both his wives with his free hands as they continued to rain kisses down at him.

Harry sat up and turned around so he was facing the head of the bed. He scooted back down until he was between both girls' knees. Hermione and Ginny stared at the wild look in his eyes and Hermione held out her hand and took the glasses Harry offered her. When she turned on her side to place Harry's glasses on the nightstand, Harry growled and attacked her bum. He nipped the cheek with his teeth and then, when she screamed in mock pain, pulled her knickers off her and started kissing the place he had marked. Nonnie's moan of approval was deepened when Ginny turned and started kissing Hermione's neck and shoulder.

Flipping back so she could see Harry better, Hermione was surprised when her husband tugged on her hip so the she and Ginny were face to face. Harry leaned in so that he could kiss both of them at the same time and licked their lips one at a time. Harry began kissing his way down Ginny's side as she reached and brought her hand around to cup the back of Hermione's head. Ginny began kissing Hermione with an open mouth but jumped when Harry brought his teeth to bear on the waistband of her blue lace knickers.

Ginny raised her hips off the bed just enough for Harry to completely remove her knickers and throw them over the side of the bed. Hermione was grinning as she returned Ginny's kisses and didn't pay much attention to where Harry had gotten to.

Both girls jumped when fingers started walking up the back of their legs however. They looked down the bed to see Harry lying on his stomach between their parallel legs with a huge grin on his face. "Don't mind me. I've just got this incredible view here. Carry on with what you were doing and I'll just help myself to all the goodies I see."

'_**He's got a lot of cheek, doesn't he?'**_

'_**Yes and I think he plans to reach a few more.'**_ Ginny raised her left leg over Harry's shoulder and watched him lean and kiss a point halfway up her right thigh. Ginny gave a little shudder and Hermione saw Ginny's nipples darken just a little bit from that one action. She reached out and pinched one of the brownish tips and Ginny's eyelids closed involuntarily.

'_**You two are going to drive me over the edge here.'**_

'_**I thought that was the plan all along.'**_

Both girls reached down and rubbed the top of Harry's messy black locks where it rested between their thighs. Hermione raised her right leg over Harry's other shoulder to give him as much access to her middle as Ginny had.

The only complaint either girl might have had in the next half hour was that neither of them could kiss Harry properly on the lips. Harry however could judge the girls approval of where he placed his kisses and touches very easily. Between what Harry was doing and their own efforts toward each other, both girls reached a number of very satisfying crescendos of their own.

Harry was finally dragged up from his enjoyable position by both girls and they did repay him in kind for his efforts. Harry only had enough energy afterwards to pull his wives closer and kiss them after they had their way with him. He called out 'Nox' and was immediately asleep.

Xxxx xxxx

The next morning Mr. Weasley caught Harry at the top of the second story stairs coming down and asked him if could get a 'Home day' for everybody. Harry wasn't sure he understood that term and asked his father-in-law what that meant.

"It's just a day to sit around and catch up with everybody and have some family time with one another. Talking, playing games; things like that. After the day we all had yesterday I thought we could all use a break of sorts."

"But why ask me that? It's your family – we're all part of your family if you want to think about it that way."

"That's very nice of you to say that Harry. But we Weasley's are guests here. This is your house Harry; you're in charge here."

Hermione and Ginny were only a few paces away as they paused coming downstairs. They 'heard' the conversation Harry was having and wondered what his reaction would be to Arthur saying Harry was in charge.

"Despite the name of the house and the name on the deed, you are my father-in-law and a second father to me. How could I forget the way you've always been helpful and patient with me? You do realize while I'm technically an adult now, I'm still going to be asking you for help and advice on a lot of matters. You aren't 'just guests' here – you never will be 'just guests'. You're family and that means a lot to me. So unless I really object to something, or my wives persuade me otherwise, you can be just as much in charge around here as you like."

Harry had worked himself up in his speech to Arthur and Ginny had a happy tear as she watched her father and Harry hug. Hermione sniffled once, caught up in the emotion of the moment, and came up and looped her arm though Mr. Weasleys.

"Might I have the pleasure of your company for a while?" Mr. Weasley threw an arm around Hermione's shoulders and gave her a quick squeeze before the two walked down to breakfast.

Ginny came up and gave Harry a deep hug. "I love you. I see saying exactly the right thing extends to all members of my family."

"That wasn't a difficult thing to say to your Dad. I know he wouldn't try to abuse his opinion of things. Well, he might want me to do things different for you."

Ginny leaned in close. "Don't you dare! When you 'did for' me and Nonnie last night was extremely nice. I like it when you decide to take charge like that."

Harry looked around to see if anyone was watching and then picked Ginny up and kissed her square on the mouth.

"Eww! Can't you guys keep that kind of stuff to your room?" Harry let Ginny down as Ron came out of the room he and Percy shared.

"Great idea brother; we'll see you in a bit." Ginny started pretending she was dragging Harry away but Harry couldn't stop laughing at the sour expression on Ron's face.

"It's okay Ron; we were just heading down. Nice hat by the way."

Ron was sporting a nice soft felt hat with a wide brim. It looked comfortable even if it was black and white checked with a purple band around it. The ostrich feather was a bit much though but Harry wouldn't say that to Ron.

"George threw in on my bed this morning on his way downstairs. Says it's a fedora. Think I can start a new fashion trend at Hogwarts?"

"We'll need to put straps on it if you want to play Quidditch with it on" Harry said thoughtfully.

"Ack, never thought of that. At least it keeps the back of my head covered."

"It's very becoming Ron. Are you three going to stay up there and keep talking or would you like some breakfast?" Mrs. Weasley was staring up at the threesome as she tapped her foot impatiently.

"Coming Mum." Ginny hopped on Harry's back and the two followed Ron down the stairs to the dining room.

Harry dropped Ginny at her chair and then sat down between her and Hermione. As Mrs. Weasley and Dobby brought the breakfast platters to the table, Mr. Weasley stood up to make an announcement. "With Harry's permission, I'm calling for a Home day for everyone. We've still got a few days' vacation left here but I think we could all use a break."

"The local crypt keeper needs to restock his supply of monsters anyway if Ron and Harry keep wandering around" Fred said.

Hermione snorted her apple juice and Ron swung his fist at his brother. "That was not funny Frederick; your brother could have been seriously hurt yesterday."

"Yeah, but we have Harry, Ginny and Hermione. It's like walking around with Dumbledore standing guard for us."

Ginny slipped out of her chair to cross to the other side of the table. "Would you like to rephrase that statement Fred? We are not here to find and fix every spot of trouble you get yourselves into? If you're expecting that back at Hogwarts you have another thing coming."

Fred and George visibly shrank little under Ginny's stare and apologized. The two watched her regain her seat but were surprised to see that their previously full dishes were now empty.

Hermione and Harry tucked into their meal. Harry nudged his brown haired wife once and she looked up. "Oh, by the way, thank you two for breakfast." Everyone laughed as Harry and Hermione had switched plates with the twins when they were paying attention to their sister.

"I think we've been pranked brother."

"It's going to be trickier getting back at them; there's three of them and only two of us."

"All the more reason to be more devious than normal then."

Harry grinned as he bit into another piece of sausage. He liked the idea of a Home day.

The extended family had a nice relaxing day by themselves. Bill and then Karl and his wife stopped over in the evening to join in the discussions and reminiscing that took place.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32 – Under the Covers

The discussion the next morning focused on who was going shopping when the shops opened. Mr. Weasley wanted to take Ron shopping for a new outfit to replace the one the Acromantula blood had ruined at the tomb. Mrs. Weasley said she would go with the girls who had to get new trainers to replace the ones they had to throw away along with a new outfit to replace the ruined ones. Harry was going to split his time between the two groups and find sometime for some special gifts for a few people.

Bill had asked Harry for the address of the building that had housed the Viking ship. Harry gave him the street address but asked Bill if he minded one observer who would try to stay quiet. Bill agreed to take Harry and few minutes later Harry left with Ginny's oldest brother on a side along apparation. Harry followed Bill while he went over the longship. Bill explained what the spells were as he made a lot of wand passes at the lowered gangplank before he even stepped on board. The runes and colors that came back to him seemed to relax him a bit and he stepped on the narrow deck and made his way to the bowsprit.

Bill made one specific counter clockwise movement aimed at the image of the dragon and was 'rewarded' by a loud roar and a flame that replaced the wooden depiction of the fire-breathing menace. "That's just a general illusion charm, Harry. All for show with no real danger; I guess that's what the Norse shamen put on all ships to inspire fear. It's safe up here if you want to come up."

Harry mounted the narrow ship and looked around the deck. There were oars stored by the holes for rowing and a number of shields were fastened to the inside of the gunwales. Three bigger shields were fastened to the mast and there was a set of three drums of various sizes near a bench up by the big tiller in the aft. There was a narrow stairway that led down from the small deck to a place that might have held provisions or shallow sleeping quarters for the crew. Harry saw Bill descending the stairs with his wand lit and casting protective spells on himself. He disappeared for a few minutes and reappeared saying the boat was safe.

"Aside from a general preservation spell and that dragon illusion on the bowsprit this Viking ship is totally safe. There's a couple of spells on the drum sets; probably an amplification spell or two."

Harry let Hermione and Ginny know the ship was safe to explore. He received a reply that everyone wanted to take a look at the interior. Harry told Bill and then they both sat down to wait for their families.

Bill was quiet for a minute and then he finally couldn't stand it anymore. "Harry, I have to ask one question."

"Only one Bill? Usually there's at least a couple from everyone we meet."

"I've got one to start out with and if there's more time maybe you can answer some others."

"Sounds fair. Go ahead and ask."

"Ginny told us what happened in that corridor. How did the three of you end up using the same spell on that acromantula?"

"The not so simple answer is that we are joined mentally all the time. We respect each other's privacy and don't notice what the others are thinking. It's kind of like ignoring the background conversations at a crowded party; you are aware they are happening but you can tune them out."

"But that specific blasting spell?"

"Let's say it was the adrenaline rush of being scared and trying to protect Ron. I really can't tell you if it was me or Ginny or Hermione that decided to use that; once that decision was made we really didn't have a lot of time to react or think about using different spells. We obviously need to work on that; a shield of some sort would have protected Ron."

"That spider was hit by three pretty powerful spells; was it some of the bond magic or was that all you?"

"That's going to get you another difficult answer. The bonding increased all of our magical cores a great deal; Dumbledore gave us some complicated answer about our cores expanding because of the three-way sharing and the capacity to hold and control the bond magic. But we didn't call any bond magic up to deal with the acromantula – that was all us."

Bill whistled and shook his head. "That's a lot of power then from each of you. Could you remember that as Ginny's brothers we are only trying to look out for her best interest? Don't blast us if we care enough to make comments from time to time."

Harry strangely laughed. "If I do anything to make Ginny mad at me, you can rest assured that she has no hesitation about using all of her magic to let me know it."

Bill seemed to take that comment well but anything else he might have wanted to say was cut off as Ginny and Hermione suddenly appeared at Harry's side. Tride and Dobby brought the rest of the Weasleys to the warehouse a few seconds later. Everyone was very interested in seeing what was on the deck and the below deck layout. Harry ended up sitting outside the longship with Bill and his father while the rest of the family explored.

"So what are you going to do with this Harry? It's a pretty big historical find even if it might be an archeological mystery."

"I hadn't really thought about it much to tell you the truth. It seems a shame to keep it locked up here in the warehouse where no one else can see it though."

Arthur spoke up then. "Harry, can I make a suggestion?"

"Sure, I'm open to anything."

"Why don't you donate it to the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities and let them try to figure it out?"

"That sounds like a great idea; it would come up on display so everyone could see it. I'll guess that Ambassador Ferventon would probably be the best one to handle a transaction like that."

Bill volunteered himself. "Let me go talk to him about that and set up a time where he could come and see it and set up the deal."

They turned as they heard a commotion from the ship. Mrs. Weasley was escorting the twins down the gangplank and telling them all the reasons that they couldn't take any of the shields or other artifacts that were still on the ship. Ron and Hermione were following a few steps behind the trio and trying not to laugh at the situation the twins were stuck in. Percy was on the ground staring up at the dragon bowsprit. Ginny was wandering around the deck still looking at everything when Harry called up to her. "Want to look around some more or do you want to get to the shopping?"

"Coming." Ginny was hurrying to the gangplank but she tripped over a coil of rope and fell flat against the deck.

'_**Ginny?'**_

"I'm okay." Ginny struggled to her feet and dusted herself off. Bill and the others saw something slowly rising behind her. "Hold still Ginny."

Ginny stared at Harry and then looked around very cautiously. "Bill were there any ghosts on this boat?"

"No that's something else. I didn't notice anything that would cause that." Harry and Bill had both pulled their wands and approached the gangplank. Harry waved for Ginny to get behind him and Bill made a couple of passes with his wand at the objects that were following her.

Ginny slipped behind Harry and peered around him as Bill did his diagnostic work. It took about five spells before Bill let out a small smile and turned toward his sister. "I guess you've been adopted."

Molly finally grew impatient and asked Bill what he meant. "Ostendus propietas" was accompanied by a slight flourish of the wand in Bill's hand. A set of white lines extended outward from Ginny to the relics that had recognized her.

Harry and Hermione grinned as they had witnessed this once before. Ron however let out a groan. "Why them? At least tell me she won't be in the Gryffindor common room driving us all bonkers."

"I have to practice somewhere Ron" Ginny quipped. She walked back up the gangway to the deck and reached out her hand. The Viking drum set, that had lain dormant for who knows how many hundreds of years, floated across the rest of the deck and settled down in front of her. Ginny smiled at her bondmates and beat a small pattern across the three different sized drumheads with her hands. The sound echoed through the almost empty warehouse and Harry felt the little breeze that disturbed everyone's hair.

Ginny smiled and performed a shrinking spell on the set and put it in her pocket. "I'm really ready to do some shopping now." Harry and Hermione both gave her a hug of congratulations before everyone flooed back to their local home.

Xxxx xxxx

Percy decided to stay at the house and continue his revising but everyone else was going shopping for one thing or another. The twins announced that since they had spent so much time in the joke and candy shop they hadn't had a chance to take a good look at the other magical area shops.

Ginny had a different take on their interest. _**'They are going back to look for those two witches they met the first day. Or others.'**_

Harry agreed_**. 'Maybe Molly should go with them; to lend a mother's perspective, of course.'**_

'_**Of course.'**_

The giggling from the three led to Mr. Weasley reminding them that if they had something to share, they should share it with everyone. Harry quickly wiped the grin off his face and just said that he was ready to go shopping.

Fred and George left first for Wazir's Wadi to meet Bill who had his own shopping to do. The rest of the Weasleys and Potters were going to a muggle shopping area located a few blocks from the Egyptian Ministry of Magic. Mr. Weasley and Ron flooed away to the ministry first. Harry and Hermione linked arms and left together and they were followed by Ginny and her mother.

Harry had left the building with Ron and Arthur but turned around after a few steps. He stood for a minute and then made an announcement to the other two. "Guess we're on our own for a bit; Mrs. Weasley wants a private chat with Hermione and Ginny." Harry followed the other two and wondered if he had done the right thing in not going back. The two wives were also wondering what their mother/mother-in-law wanted to talk to them about. Mrs. Weasley had found a wide bench near the exit to the street and had motioned for the two to have a seat. She made a pass with her wand creating a privacy ward and asked Hermione and Ginny to close down their connection with Harry.

"I suppose I should have done this at your home but I wasn't sure that small pointy ears might overhear and tell Harry."

"Dobby and Tride wouldn't relay anything if we asked them not to" Hermione stated.

"As much as I would like to believe that, the house elves loyalty goes first to the Head of the House. I didn't want our little discussion to reach Harry in case he wanted to object about the mother-to–daughter talk I want to have."

'_**Blast.'**_

'_**Oh dear.'**_

"What do you want to talk to us about Mum?" Ginny was suspicious about what the topic of this discussion was going to be.

"I guess I wanted to have a word about everything before the three of you head back to Hogwarts. Things are going to change from what you have been used to."

"I know Mrs. Weasley; we're married now so we're getting different quarters. Not exactly in the Gryffindor tower but close; at least that's what Professor McGonagall and Vika said."

"You're living arrangements are something I'll talk about in a bit. I'd like to start with your behavior."

"What behavior?" Ginny asked.

"You've got responsibilities to Harry now both as your husband and the head of your house. That means acting with a little decorum and refraining from joining the twins and Ron in pranking fellow students or members of the faculty."

Hermione opened her mouth to say something in her and Ginny's defense but Mrs. Weasley held up a hand. "I'm not accusing anyone of acting immature but you have to help Harry. You all have to concentrate on your studies and getting Harry better prepared for You-Know-Who if that horrible prophecy still means something. That's very important to all of you."

"We know that Molly" Hermione said sadly.

"I'm not saying you can't have fun. You can all go to Hogsmeade on any weekend because you're adults. That means you don't have to wait for one that's announced; you just have to tell Minerva or Dumbledore when you are going and to be back before curfew."

"Wow, I'd never thought about that before Mum. Thank you."

"Don't abuse the privilege. Everyone from the professors and the Head Boy and Girl on down will be watching to see if you take too many advantages because of your adult status. You'll have a lot of students jealous or resentful of the three of you. That could quickly turn to anger."

"And Harry already has a lot of people that don't want to see him succeed."

"Exactly Hermione. So what you do and how you act are going to help or hurt Harry. That goes double for how you touch each other and behave as husband and wives in public. It's part social and part political unfortunately."

"Does that extend to how we dress?" Hermione heard the edge in Ginny's voice but Molly choice to ignore it.

"I don't have any objections to the robes; in fact I was going to suggest you girls and Harry spend a little money and get a couple pair of good dress robes to wear for special occasions. There will be balls and other parties to attend for the three of you".

Molly was unaware that Harry had already splurged for two sets already but neither of the wives was going to tell Molly that.

"The new school uniforms then. What your objections to those?"

"I'm not trying to be persnickety about it but you shouldn't have the skirt hems too high or your tops or slacks too revealing. I'm not saying you look like tarts but I remember some of the comments I heard from those Slytherin witches and wizards when I went to school. I'm sure they haven't gotten any politer over time."

"That's certainly right" Ginny murmured.

"I know you want to look nice and attractive for Harry but maybe that should wait until you alone with him."

"Broom closets" Hermione whispered and got a poke from Ginny for her thoughts.

"I heard that Hermione." Strangely, Molly didn't object much to that statement. "The sixth floor has a couple of very secluded ones if I remember right."

"MUM!"

"Hey don't think because I'm your mother that I didn't indulge in a good snog with what was your future father from time to time. It's not illegal to kiss your husband but you should pick your time and places."

"Thanks Molly for that advice." Hermione was grinning as if she had won a prize. They had miraculously got some approval and encouragement from Molly to snog Harry. Things were looking up.

"And I really don't want to mention this but since you're both in the habit of wearing skirts from time to time…"

'_**Please, not the underwear again.'**_

"… you should give some thought to what kind of knickers you have on."

"Mum, we've had this talk."

"And it's still important now. People will be extra curious about what Harry Potter's wives are wearing. Maybe I'm being paranoid or trying to protect you too much but I think there will be efforts to embarrass you or Harry. I'm just trying to warn you."

"But Harry really likes some of the scanty knickers we pick out and wear for him." Hermione immediately wished she hadn't said that in front of her mother-in-law. "I didn't mean to say that out loud."

Ginny rolled her eyes but Molly smiled. "Again, maybe that's something to be saved for your quarters. The ones that make you feel … adventurous or you'd like Harry to see."

Both Ginny and Hermione were blushing and Mrs. Weasley wasn't exactly happy she was doing this to them. But if it got them thinking a little more it was worth a little discomfort.

"Okay, I'll relent a little on the knickers. You can make your own decisions on that but you could give a thought to applying masking or concealment charms for certain parts of your wardrobe."

"That's brilliant Mum. Hermione already knows some of those type of spells."

Hermione liked the confidence builder from Ginny but hoped the talk with her mother-in-law was about finished. "You wanted to say something about our quarters?"

"I may have said too much already; I don't want either of you to resent or get outright mad at me trying to interfere with your marriage. You're entitled to your privacy in your rooms but be careful what appearances are for people you invite in. I suspect that one of the three bedrooms would make an excellent library for you all but tongues will wag nonetheless. "

Hermione and Harry had already talked about that possibility already but that idea might have had to be rethought. Ginny realized what having two bedrooms might mean to her brothers and internally cringed. Public joking would be the least of their problems. The Daily Prophet had already run a few thinly veiled articles about the 'marriage' of the Boy-Who-Lived. Just enough innuendoes to make everyone curious. And Harry hated being the center of attention.

Ginny suddenly stood up and moved over to give her mother a hug. "Thanks Mum. You've given Hermione and me a lot of things to think about and another discussion or two to have with our dear hubby."

Mrs. Weasley stood up and cancelled the privacy ward. "That's about all I wanted to accomplish. I do want you three to enjoy this year no matter what you might think of me. It's just you are in a very unusual situation here and I think we all want the best for your marriage and Harry."

The three ladies left the Egyptian Ministry of magic and were strangely quiet as they tried to find their respective husbands. Molly suspected that Ginny and Hermione were having a mental discussion about the talking to she had just given them but, for once, she didn't want to know what they were saying to each other.

Harry and Ron had already purchased new trainers and were waiting with Mr. Weasley for the three outside the shoe store. Mrs. Weasley gave her husband a big hug and Ginny and Hermione did the same for Harry. He received a goose from one of his wives and it erased the worried look he had on his face. The shopping trip seemed to take no time at all as Ron and the girls quickly decided on replacement clothes.

Returning to the house, the group found that Bill, George and Fred were entertaining Jacques O'Brien who they had met while shopping. Jacques was wondering if the Weasleys had any further outings that were going to be less hazardous to everyone. Harry, coming down the stairs from putting away their purchases, said that he still had the one building to look through. Mrs. Weasley shook her head no as she said she had enough outings for a while. The twins and Ron were all in favor of finding more treasures and pushed Harry to go investigating.

Fifteen minutes later, Mr. Weasley found himself chaperoning the group of 6 youngsters and Jacques as they peered into some grimy windows at the abandoned garage. Dobby discreetly disposed of a few of the abandoned cars outside which freed up space to walk up to a side door of the building.

Harry waved his wand saying 'Alohomora' and heard the click of the lock being disengaged. He opened the door and entered the small abandoned office. The rest of the group found nothing of interest except a pinup calendar which Jacques saw one of the twins discreetly confiscate. He smiled and followed Harry and the others as they entered the three bays of the garage.

What everyone saw was about a half dozen tarps covering a variety of different shaped mysteries. Harry let everyone choose a tarp to uncover. George wanted to go first and pulled his tarp to reveal – a pile of eighteen old tires ("Rats!"). Hermione floated her tarp to the side to reveal an old motorcycle that was missing both tires and the handlebars. She snapped her fingers in disappointment and replaced the tarp. Ginny was next and uncovered a rounded bright yellow car with chrome bumpers that stood out a bit from the body.

"It's a bug Harry. You have a bug!" Hermione practically jumped for joy as she threw open the driver's door and got behind the wheel.

"I'm pretty sure that's a car Hermione" Mr. Weasley corrected. Jacques explained the origin and nickname of the German icon to Arthur and they both watched as the group tried to squeeze themselves in the crowded interior. Everyone wanted to go for a ride but Harry pointed out the three pedals on the floor and admitted he didn't know how to drive a manual shift car. Jacques held up his hand and said he knew but didn't know if the car would start after lying idle for so long.

That led everyone back to their uncovered piles. Fred found six bicycles which Harry immediately claimed for both Potter mansion and the Burrow. He thought it would be good exercise and fun to drive around on. It would also give Mr. Weasley something to tinker around with when everyone went back to school.

There were three canvas tarps left and Harry urged Arthur to try his luck. He pointed to Ron and Harry and said they had first go. Ron took a deep breath as the twins helped him uncovered a large object that took up most of the space in one bay.

Everyone but Harry, Hermione and Jacques were stumped by the appearance of the big machine. It had two large concrete tubes attached by steel bumpers and a raised platform that contained a seat, a steering wheel and an exhaust pipe that rose five feet high behind the seat. A rather large engine sat between the seven foot wide and five foot high tubes.

"This looks like a really bizarre muggle lorry." Mr. Weasley had come over and looked about ready to climb up to the seat to see that he could make of the machine.

"It's a steamroller" Jacques called out to everybody, "even though they don't run on steam anymore. It's used primarily in making roads and evening out driveways."

"Looks dangerous" Fred said hopefully.

Ginny giggled suddenly. "I don't think Harry will let you take it to go to Potions class with it. Professor Snape's already had enough problems with doors that don't behave."

Harry and Hermione smiled as they remember how Harry had accidentally melted their least favorite professor's classroom door.

"But it was such a brilliant idea." George looked disappointed that the twins couldn't play with the heavy piece of machinery. Harry smiled but reminded them that an illusion of it would certainly 'entertain' Mr. Filch the caretaker. That seemed to brighten up the faces of the duo and they looked back to begin making sketches of the steamroller.

Two tarps left. Harry had a crowd around him as he floated the tarp off one of the remaining piles. He looked at it for a bit before chuckling and then leaned against the hood of the littlest tow trucks he had ever seen. It was painted bright red with black patches here and there. It had the obligatory metal boom, cable and hook but the whole vehicle was less than fifteen feet long. There was a single person cab with a variety of different levers and knobs that controlled both the vehicle and the towing apparatus. Harry shook his head and lowered the canvas to cover up the truck.

That left Mr. Weasley with the last of the tarps. Everyone was wondering if it covered a treasure or a disappointment. Arthur simply banished the tarp and Harry, Hermione and Jacques rushed in to examine the find.

"Miniature motorcycles?" guessed Ron.

"Even better" Jacques said. "Scooters! I actually have a new model of one of these. You don't need a license to drive them. They are very easy to operate to."

That got everyone's attention. Mr. Weasleys tarp had covered up a seven little scooters that looked that they were just waiting for someone to jump on and drive away. Jacques pulled one of the three blue Vespas to the side and began fiddling with the controls. Everyone, especially Mr. Weasley, all celebrated when the little engine turned over and a little growl filled the abandoned garage.

Jacques turned off the scooter and looked at the expectant faces around him. "Shall we try them out and go for a ride?" That got a cheer from everyone and soon all the scooters were lined up outside the garage and Jacques was going over the fine points of starting and controlling the brake and throttle and steering. It didn't take long for Harry and Hermione to grasp the concepts of operating the vehicle and Ginny cheered when those two got off to wobbly starts and then drove slowly around the block. Ron had trouble keeping the brake and throttle straight and did a number of lurches before the twins wrote "Stop" and "Go" on the back of his hands.

Ginny rode once with Harry on his scooter and then helped her father when he got his going. Arthur was amazed that that scooter would move and turn with just a few minor movements of his hands and wrists. Harry saw that Jacques was taking a number of pictures as he watched the antics of the Weasleys driving up and down the street.

It took about a half hour for everyone to really get comfortable with the scooters but then Jacques whistled once and everyone started following his lead. It might have been a very unusual sight for everyone in the streets of Cairo but scooters were often used by a lot of people as their means of transportation. A group of mostly red-headed teenagers only caused small stares as they travelled down streets and took shortcuts through crowded alleyways.

The only "accident" that happened occurred when Ron was talking to Harry and not paying attention to where he was going. He made an inadvertent turn into a small courtyard and came up face to face with a less than pleased camel that reared up on him. Ron hit the brake too hard and fell over sideways. He didn't really hurt himself but he broke his wand. It had been stowed in the pocket of his jeans and he fell on in.

Everyone had circled back when they saw where Ron had gone. Jacques stopped his scooter and made apologies to the upset owner of the courtyard and camel when he came out to see the disturbance. Harry, after making sure that Ron wasn't hurt, opened up his wallet and waved a bunch of Egyptian cash in the owner's face for compensation. The man stopped his excited arguing with Jacques and took a number of the paper dollars that Harry had. Harry smiled at the man and the man bowed back to him. Harry made frantic waves behind his back for Ron to push his scooter away.

A block later everyone pulled to the side and had a good laugh at Ron's expense. He thought it was kind of humorous until he looked at his broken wand. "Mum is going to kill me" he wailed. "This was Charlie's wand and he gave it to me when he first came back from the Dragon preserve and got a new one."

"It's okay Ron" Ginny said. "We'll all chip in to help you buy a new one when we all get home." Ron looked at the nodding heads and gave everyone his thanks.

"You'll still have to tell your mother. I'm not exactly sure that she'll be madder at you for being careless or me for allowing you all out on this adventure."

"You can blame me if you want Arthur" Harry said. "They're my scooters and I sort of gave everyone permission."

Fred piped up then. "Yes, let's blame everyone. I will swear that camel jumped out deliberately to attack our brother."

Everyone laughed at that but knew Mrs. Weasley wouldn't believe it for a second. They all turned their scooters around and drove back to the garage. When they arrived they all pushed the scooters inside and Harry asked Dobby to move the scooters back to Potter Mansion. Hermione thought her father would like to take a look at the Beetle so she asked the house elf to move the little car also.

Molly was a little upset at both her husband and Ron when they all got back to the house but didn't really get as angry as everyone feared. After all the other things that had already gone on, a broken wand seemed like a little expense and nobody was really hurt.

Xxxx xxxx

"Harry, I think it was very sweet that you wanted Ginny and I to take turns riding with you this afternoon."

"I always want you two to be with me Hermione. There's always your great company and you'll never ever hear me complain about having either pair of lovely boobs pressed into my back."

"Since I think that was a compliment, I'll return the favor and say we are both grateful for the way you let us hang on. We didn't tease you too much by having our hands in the front pockets of your jeans?"

"You certainly didn't hear any protest from me did you? Although one of your lovely hands might have been a little stickier if you continued much longer."

"Are you ok Jamie?"

"Just a mild case of spherical aggravation. Nothing you should worry about."

Hermione stared at Harry in exasperation. He still didn't complain or request anything about his personal needs. She and Ginny would just have to watch him closely if they teased him or walked around undressed too much.

_**'Hey Healer Lady!**_

_**'Something wrong Nonnie?**_'

"We've given our Jamie here a mild case of blue balls."

"Another flare-up? Well you know the procedure. Prep the patient."

"You heard the doctor Mr. Potter. Get naked and we'll attempt to rectify your condition."

Harry blushed but watched his wives undressing as he headed for the bed. Life was very very good at times.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33 – A Goodbye Bash

The afternoon before the Weasley's vacation ended found Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley waiting in the longship warehouse. Bill, Jacques O'Brien, and Ambassador Ferventon were due soon and Harry was to formally donate the Viking relic to the English Ambassador of Magic. He in turn would present it to the Egyptian Minister of Magic on behalf of magical Great Britain.

Harry was nervous for any number of reasons. He wasn't exactly sure if there was a ceremony involved in transferring his ownership of the longship. There was also the possibility that the Egyptian Minister of Magic might be coming himself to view the unusual object. The last subject making him nervous was an announcement that probably would get him in trouble with his in-laws and might have his wives locking him out of the bedroom for a few nights.

Hermione had gotten a feeling that Harry was unsettled and turned to give him a hug. "This won't take long love and then we can get back to getting ready for the party tonight. Are you sure you want to invite everyone? We could just have a quiet evening. Nobody would object to that."

Harry smiled and just shook his head. "I'm not sure when we'll be able to come back and visit this part of the world again and I'd like to have a proper goodbye for Kirk, Sally and the Ferventons. Beside it's been a while since you or I have broken out our musical instruments. Ginny's been over the moon thinking about making music with us."

'_**But we always make beautiful music when we're together Jamie.'**_

Harry blushed and made a pretend slap that changed to a caress of Hermione's face. _**'Yes we do dear. But you know what I'm talking about. Could you keep an ear out for the door? Jacques was going to ride along with everyone rather than apparate.'**_

Hermione nodded and Harry moved a few step away from everyone. He dropped the illusion that he was a thirteen year old and cleared his adult throat; that got everyone's attention.

"I'm really glad everyone's got to spend a bit of time having fun on their vacations. The time we spent with Tony and Dee Granger on the cruise was just as important to us as the time we've had here with Bill and the rest of our Weasley family. I know this probably sounds like the goodbye speech that I wanted to give at the party tonight but I have an announcement to make which I hope you won't hold against me for too long."

Even Ginny and Hermione were a little puzzled by their husband's words. They had no clue as to what he was going to say. Harry wouldn't answer their mental questions either so they had to wait along with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

"I can confess now that I had an ulterior motive for spending a week with each of my families this summer. It got both the Weasleys and the Grangers out of their houses for a week."

Mr. Weasley held Molly back as she immediately became suspicious. "Why did we need to out of our houses for the week Harry?"

"I did something totally selfish with the money that the Malfoys had to repay to my Slytherin account. And probably something a little Slytherinish too; I paid the goblins to upgrade the wards on both the Burrow and at the Granger's house while you were away."

"That was totally unnecessary Harry. Our wards were good enough."

"Yes they _were_ Molly. But with me being married to Ginny and Hermione, the Burrow and the Grangers house will almost certainly be subject to the risk of increased scrutiny or attention by at least the press or left over Deatheaters."

"But Harry the cost…"

Harry's voice rose sharply to the surprise of everybody. "**Blast the cost!** I am not going to take a chance of losing anyone in either of my families now that I've just got them. I can't be everywhere to guard you all so I'm doing what I can to make sure that you are safe. In case the impossible happens and there are attacks at either house I have also made contingency preparations. There are emergency portkeys at the Burrow to whisk everyone to Potter Mansion. Hermione, I've ordered Knop to monitor the wards at your parent's house. If the wards fail or are breeched a few house elves will go and bring your mom and dad immediately to our house too."

"So while we're waiting for Ambassador Ferventon and the other to arrive, you have a chance to yell at me. Hermione, I'll go with you when we got home to explain to your parents too."

Harry had hung his head as he finished so he didn't get to see the proud smiles of his wives. Molly Weasley cleared her throat to get Harry's attention and then turned to her husband. "I will take care of this dear."

Molly stood up and then approached Harry. He cringed a little at the glare on her face but was surprised when she picked him up and crushed him in one of her massive hugs.

"Thank you Harry dear. I can't argue with your reasoning or your caring for everyone else. It's a lot of money nonetheless, but I appreciate the fact you want to help protect us."

"Mum, could you put Harry back down? He needs to breath and we want to thank him too."

Molly placed Harry back on his feet and then turned her back as Hermione and Ginny reached for their husband. She might not have seen what was going on behind her but she couldn't miss both girls snogging him fiercely. This continued for a minute or two until Arthur cleared his throat and said that he thought he heard someone at the door. A dizzy but smiling Harry resumed his younger appearance as the expected visitors entered the warehouse.

Bill Weasley was the first through the door and he was followed by Jacques O'Brien. Ambassador Darson Ferventon walked through the doorway next and he was having an animated talk with a tall blond older gentleman. Jacques stopped in front Harry and the others and took some pictures as Ambassador Ferventon introduced the newcomer.

"This is the Honorable Johan Skredsgiv, the Pro-consul for the Scandinavian countries to Egypt. We thought it would be a little more meaningful if a representative from the Vikings homelands would share in the gift to the Egyptian Ministry of Magic."

Harry and the others bowed (or curtseyed as the gender required) and shook hands with Johan as he insisted everyone call him. Johan seemed especially happy to meet the three wives present and he kissed the back of each female hand in greeting. Ginny rolled her eyes at Harry but Molly seemed genuinely touched by the gesture.

Bill was the one to conduct the tour of the longship and Jacques had plenty of opportunities to take pictures of the longship and the magical representatives. The pro-consul was certainly impressed by the age and preservation of the ship. Bill triggered the spell that made the bowsprit roar and belch flames and both ambassadors flinched just a little bit.

Harry tried to keep out of the pictures Jacques was taking but was pushed into a joint handshake with Darson and Johan at the prow of the ship. The transfer procedure was just a simple statement by Harry that he was donating the longship to the representatives of magical England and Scandinavia. They told Harry and the others that a significant find of this nature would make a great addition to the Museum of Antiquities. Harry modestly requested that his name be absent from any formal presentation. Johan was going to insist but Harry argued that he didn't want his name detracting from the importance of the occasion.

The meeting broke up soon after that with Harry extracting a promise from Ambassador Ferventon that he, his wife and secretary would make it to the small party being held on the roof of the Potter House that evening. A few minutes later the warehouse was empty again except for the classic Viking longship.

Xxxx xxx

Preparations for the party involved anyone who had slept under the Potter roof for the last week. While Tride, Dobby and Mrs. Weasley made preparations for the food, Mr. Weasley and Harry decided on the refreshments that were going to be served. Considering the range of ages of the people attending the party everything from pumpkin juice and cider to ale and firewhiskey were set up in half-casks filled with ice on the roof. To guarantee that the twins or Ron wouldn't be too tempted by the adult beverages, Mr. Weasley showed Harry how to apply a stinging hex to the beverages that would target anybody underage from touching them. Harry wasn't sure if that would apply to him and his wives but warned them about the precaution.

Hermione and Ginny were being given a cooking and planning lesson by Mrs. Weasley while all this was happening around them. While Molly knew that both girls would let the house elves fix their meals while they were home, both were interested in learning how to cook for themselves and for Harry. They could handle the basics of meals but they wanted to learn how to surprise Harry with some of his favorite dishes.

Ron, Percy and the twins were given the task of decorating the roof and making sure that there were enough seats and tables for everyone. That led to a few arguments between Percy, George and Fred as Percy tried to keep the twins from completely covering the rooftop in bunting or setting up fireworks. Ron took advantage of the ongoing discussions to taste-test the foods that had already been sent up.

Sandy Forrester had floo called at one point in the afternoon and asked Harry if it was possible to bring along a couple of their neighbors to give Bill and his brothers somebody female to talk to. Harry, sensing a setup in the making, gave his permission and only told Molly, Ginny and Hermione about the two extra guests that were coming.

Bill arrived by floo about seven o'clock to help set up and just have another opportunity to talk to everyone. Eight o'clock rolled around and everyone was called down from the roof to await the arrival of their guests. The Ambassador and his wife were the first to arrive and Harry was quick to greet and welcome the couple and reintroduce everyone. The Forresters, Karl and Sandy, were next to arrive by floo but they turned around once they had cleared the hearth. Who they were expecting became apparent a couple of seconds later as the flames from the floo vanished, revealing the last guests.

Most of the Weasley sons took in a deep breath when they saw the two lovely young ladies that emerged from the floo. Both were dark haired; one in her early twenties and the other appeared to be in her early or middle teens. That they were sisters was very obvious to anybody who looked at them. Their appearance and costumes led Harry to believe that they were from India; the two looked like slightly older versions of the Patil twins back at school. Before anyone could make a move to welcome them, the older of the two looked around, squealed and raced across the room to throw her arms around the neck of one very surprised Bill Weasley. "Oh Bill, it's been so long.."

'_**I think she already knows your brother Ginny.'**_

'_**Looks like it. Mum is going to want an explanation.'**_

Molly had a confused look on her face as she waited for the young lady to detach herself from her eldest son. A red-faced Bill finally let the girl down and found his family staring at him. All the men in the room were trying to hold in their smiles as they waited for Bill to speak. Bill coughed once and the girl looked around at the other people and blushed. "I guess introductions are in order. This is Amala Banerjee; her father used to be the Indian Ambassador to Magical Egypt before he and his family were recalled last spring. We've … dated a bit."

Amala smiled and added to Bill's description. "And we just returned two days ago as father resumed his post. He and mother are off doing the welcome back party circuit right now. Varshna and I were just going to settle in for another evening of needlepoint and unpacking before Sally called us."

"And my sister just about fainted when she heard we were being invited to a party with the Weasleys. She's been missing Bill since…"

"Varshna, manners! We haven't even properly introduced to everyone yet."

The girl named Varshna had moved to stand between Harry and Hermione as Bill started introducing Amala to the other guests. Starting with his parents. "I guess I stuck my foot in it again. Good thing Amy doesn't embarrass easily."

"That probably a great thing if she knows Bill. Or wants to get know his family" Harry said. "Hi, I'm Harry, this is Hermione and the redhead staring at her biggest brother is Ginny. We're technically your hosts for the evening."

Ginny turned as she heard the sound of her name. "Sorry, Varshna was it? I'm just a little surprised. Bill had never had a girlfriend here as far as my parents knew and he never wrote about her in any of his letters to me."

Varshna bit her lip and blushed a little. "You can call me Vash and it's probably a little premature to say that they are boyfriend and girlfriend; not that my sister wouldn't want that to happen mind you. They went out a number of times before we went back to India and my sister was very smitten with your handsome brother."

Vash seemed to hold Bill in pretty high esteem herself and the four continued to talk and get to know each other until Bill led Amala over to introduce the Potters to her. "Amala, Amy, this is the last but certainly not the least of my siblings here. This is my sister Ginny Potter and her husband Harry and, as confusing as it is, this is Harry's other wife Hermione."

Vash gasped suddenly and Harry and the others saw the recognition hit Amy's young sister. "You're Harry.. that Harry Potter!"

Ginny threw an arm around Vash's waist to keep her from running away in embarrassment. "That's what the name tag says on his t-shirts."

"Unless you're a dark lord or a big spider, it's perfectly safe to be around him. We've even managed to toilet train the lad." Hermione giggled at the reaction she got from Harry but the joke seemed to help Vash relax a bit.

"I'm so sorry for my reaction Lord Potter. We've followed your story…"

Thwpppt! Harry blew a raspberry at Vash. "You call me Lord Potter one more time this evening and I'll make you sit next to Percy at the dinner table. I'm Harry and that's all I go by most of the time."

Vash nodded and then smiled a little at the face Harry was making at her. The twins decided that it was time to introduce themselves to Amala's younger sister and they whisked Vash away from the small group.

Harry had to smile as he heard Fred begin to speak. "Let us tell you everything we know about one Harry Potter…"

"… since we were the ones that taught him everything he knows about magic."

"And they're off once again" Ginny murmured. "I'm sorry Amala; nobody can control those two."

"Isn't it about time to eat Harry?" Bill was looking around nervously to see if his mother was anywhere nearby.

"I think that can be arranged" Harry replied. He raised his voice to carry across the other conversations going on. "Since everyone is here we can all proceed to dinner up on the roof. No rushing; there's enough food for everyone Ron."

"Hey, I resent that."

"But you don't deny it" came automatically from the rest of Ron's brothers. Harry listened to Amala's wonderful laugh and thought Bill might not be as embarrassed as he made out. She smiled at her escort and asked a question. "So are we sitting with Kirk and Sally or out by ourselves Bill?"

Before Bill could answer the charming lady there was a small cough from behind them. "Yes, **Bill**, where are you two planning on sitting? I think there's a space just between your father and me where we can all get comfortable and talk."

Molly took Amy by the elbow and began guiding her toward the stairway upstairs. Bill rolled his eyes and then mouthed a silent "HELP ME!' before he hurried to catch up with his mum and the surprise guest she was talking to.

"Poor Bill! We should do something about this situation" Hermione said as they climbed the stairway after them.

"And he didn't even notice that Mum didn't call him William."

Harry watched the way everyone settled in to the chairs and tables on the roof and felt some sympathy for both Bill and Amala. Harry had been subjected to a lot of scrutiny by Ginny's parents and brothers at one time and it wasn't quite fair to have this sprung on Bill or the girl without warning. Of course Amala being a pretty young woman made her less questionable for the majority of Bill's brothers.

The food and drinks were set up in a buffet fashion with Tride and Dobby standing alongside the main table in House of Potter. A couple of nearby tables were large enough to sit everyone comfortably. Harry waited a couple of minutes after everyone started eating and made the first toast, saluting Bill and Ambassador Ferventon for all their help and assistance during everyone's vacation. A couple of rounds of toasts were exchanged but Harry put a sudden halt when the twins stood to talk; he cast a silencing spell upon them to the amusement of Ron and Vash. He relented and released them when they sat down again.

Harry kept a careful eye and ear out for the conversations around the table. He found out that the Banerjees were neighbors to Kirk and Sally and it was Sally Forrester that originally introduced Amala to Bill. Vash was fifteen and attended the small magical school that taught all the ambassadors families.

Ginny or Hermione aimed a few carefully timed questions at Bill or Amala whenever it seemed Molly had made either of them the least bit uncomfortable. Ron and Kirk entertained the guests by making a grand tale of the acromantula attack in the newly opened portion of the tomb. Harry actually hid his face in Hermione's shoulder with embarrassment as everyone gave him a cheer and round of applause.

Tride vanished the tables after everyone had finished and replaced the food on the buffet table with some pastries, coffee, tea and butterbeers. The party sat around in a loose circle talking about almost everything under the sun and moon until Fred stood up and made to ask Harry a question.

Harry looked at him and started wagging his fingers to the laughter of the others. Fred persisted however in asking his question. "I've been told that both Vash and Bill's 'friend' Amala both love to dance. I was wondering if you would mind breaking out your mandolin and singing for all of us?"

Harry looked sideways to see a smiling Hermione and Ginny and stood up nodding. "We'll have to move some of these chairs around a bit to create a space. Dobby, could you go fetch my mandolin and Hermione's flute?"

Dobby was gone and back again before the people had finished moving their chairs around. Harry asked Mr. Weasley to cast privacy and notice-me-not spells around the roof and both he and Bill raised their wands to do that. While Harry was tuning up the mandolin and Hermione warming up her fingers for playing the flute Harry asked the ambassador and his wife what kind of music they liked to listen to. "We're mostly ballads and waltz type of people but you can play anything you want as long as we married couples can get a slow dance in once in a while."

Harry nodded and turned to find that Ginny had brought the Viking drum set out of her pocket and expanded it. She was looking at her wands curiously and Harry stepped over to ask her if she wanted Hermione or him to transform some real drumsticks for her to use.

"I think this will be okay. I've had Nonnie put a temporary strengthening charm on them. I can always go back to using my hands.

'_**And we know you have quite talented hands.'**_

'_**Jamie!'**_

Harry turned back to see everyone staring at them. "Okay." Harry started strumming the mandolin and launched into _'Can't Smile without You' _which got all the couples up on the floor and slow dancing. Hermione did a solo next with _'Michelle'_ which seemed to float around the roof before coming back to her flute. Amala and her sister both came over and thanked Hermione for playing one of their favorite songs.

Harry took advantage of the small break to check how Ginny was doing with her new plaything. "How are you doing with the drums?"

"This is fun. Not as much fun as snogging you but still… good."

"Ready for some something a little more upbeat?"

"Absolutely."

"Sure?"

"Bring it on Potter. I'm ready."

Harry turned and smiled. "Now that we've all gotten warmed up a little, it's time for a little fun. Hermione has wanted to hear this from me for a while so here goes."

Harry hit three loud chords fromn the mandolin and the sound of something that sounded more like a saxophone than a flute jarred the air on the roof. Harry started singing and the twins pulled Vash up to the dance floor. Kirk was dragged out by his wife Sandy but grinned as he started dancing too. The song was hard to sit still to.

_The warden threw a party in the county jail.  
The prison band was there and they began to wail.  
The band was jumpin and the joint began to swing.  
You shouldve heard those knocked out jailbirds sing._

(Ginny let loose with a rapid beat that caused Harry to smile and Hermione to raise her flute in salute.)

_Lets rock, everybody, lets rock.  
Everybody in the whole cell block  
Was dancin to the jailhouse rock._

_Spider Murphy played the tenor saxophone  
Little Joe was blowin' on the slide trombone  
The drummer boy from Illinois went crash boom bang  
The whole rhythm section was the purple gang_

_Let's rock, everybody, let's rock_  
_Everybody on the whole cell block_  
_They was dancing to the jailhouse rock_

(Arthur and Molly came out to the dance floor by this time and made some swing moves that had their younger sons gobsmacked.)

_Well, number 47 said to number 3  
You're the cutest jailbird I ever did see  
I sure'll be delighted with your company  
Come on and do the jailhouse rock with me_

_Let's rock, everybody let's rock_  
_Everybody on the whole cell block_  
_They were dancing to the jailhouse rock_  
_Let's rock_

_Sad Sack sittin' on a block of stone_  
_Way over in the corner weepin' all alone_  
_The warden said, "Hey buddy, don't you be no square_  
_Can't find a partner, use a wooden chair"_

_Let's rock, everybody let's rock_  
_Everybody on the whole cell block_  
_They was dancing to the jailhouse rock_

_They were dancing to the jailhouse rock_  
_They was dancing to the jailhouse rock_  
_They was dancing to the jailhouse rock_

_They was dancing to the jailhouse rock_  
_Everybody on the whole cell block_  
_They was dancing to the jailhouse rock_

_They was dancing to, dancing to, dancing to, dancing to_  
_Dancing to the jailhouse rock_  
_Oh, they was dancing, dancing, dancing, dancing_

_Dancing to the jailhouse rock_  
_Everybody on the whole cell block_  
_They was dancing to the jailhouse rock_

_Jailhouse rock, they was dancin' to the jailhouse rock_  
_They was dancin' to the jailhouse rock_  
_They was dancin' to the jailhouse rock_  
_Everybody on the whole cell block_  
_They was dancing to the jailhouse rock _(Elvis Presley and others – 1957)

Everybody was applauding but Hermione and Ginny were laughing and pointing at Harry's feet. Harry looked down and then at his wives. He put down his mandolin carefully and then started chasing Ginny around the roof. She finally collapsed laughing in her mother's lap asking for protection. Harry was smiling as he threatened Ginny with some pretty severe punishments. Molly didn't believe it for a second but asked Harry what the problem was. He pointed down and Molly broke out in a smile. While Harry was busy singing, Ginny and/or Hermione had changed his footwear. Harry was now wearing blue suede shoes again.

"I'll get you for that" Harry said as he pulled Ginny up and gave her a hug.

'_**Who Me?'**_

Harry and Ginny walked back toward Hermione and their instruments but she held up her hand at them. "Ladies choice" she said before she picked up her flute. Ginny looked around at the available partners before Harry tapped her on the shoulder. Ginny appeared to think about it for a second but then smiled and held out her hand for Harry to take. Hermione grinned as they moved into a close embrace and began playing _'Unforgettable'_. Harry and Ginny danced over to where Hermione was sitting and stopped. The other four couples watched as the flute floated out of Hermione's hands but continued to play. Hermione watched it, seemingly spellbound, for a second but then smiled and joined Harry and Ginny in their dance. The flute continued playing on by itself for a few minutes more as the threesome twirled around the dance floor.

As the slow dance ended, Ginny broke away from her spouses and reached up to catch Hermione's flute as it floated down. She placed it on Hermione's chair as the other couples left the dance floor. Harry started clapping his hands as Ginny sat back down behind the three drums. Ginny started out beating time with Harry on the drums but then started taking off on a roll of her own. It took only a matter of twenty seconds before the drumbeat seemed to generate a little magic of its own and a little wind began to be felt on the rooftop. Ginny settled down into a quick rhythm that repeated itself a number of times before Harry caught on what it was.

'_**That's brilliant Gin.'**_

'_**Am I keeping up okay Harry?'**_

Harry smiled as he reached for the mandolin again. He played a couple of almost electric sounding chords that had Hermione and Bill Weasley smiling. Hermione sat down and blew the accompaniment to what Ginny had started. When Harry started singing the first line of the song, the Weasleys all stood and started clapping out the beat.

_Very superstitious, writing's on the wall  
Very superstitious, ladders bout' to fall…_

The rest of the classic song from Stevie Wonder went over very well with everyone but Harry had to call for a break when they finished with it. All three of them had had thrown themselves into quite a lather in playing the last song and needed something cold to drink. Harry had grabbed a water for himself and brought over a couple of butterbeers to Hermione and Ginny. Both were being congratulated by Amala and Bill about playing so well.

Ginny seemed to want to give most of the credit to the others of their trio. "Harry and Hermione both have this great memory for songs and it seems I got a little musical knowledge and ability from Hermione when we merged a while ago. It seems so easy to pick up what they intend on performing so that I just merge right in."

Harry threw an arm across Ginny's shoulders and contradicted her. "She's just being modest. Ginny's got a great voice in her own right and Hermione and I have gained a lot of her enthusiasm and outgoingness just by being around her. We both used to be incredibly shy, believe it or not."

Darson and Gladwyn Ferventon interrupted the conversation and said that while they enjoyed the party, it was time for them to floo home. Harry asked the couple if he could tempt them with another slow dance before they left. Gladwyn nodded for her husband and went back to the make-shift dance floor.

Harry and the others headed back to their instruments and Harry announced it was last dance to everyone. Vash went over and pulled a surprised Ron out of his chair while Bill surprisingly asked his mother for a dance and Amala persuaded Mr. Weasley to share the dance floor for a while.

Hermione's flute took the lead for a change and Harry's voice started slowly as he gazed at both Ginny and Hermione.

_Don't go changing to try and please me  
You never let me down before  
Don't imagine you're too familiar  
And I don't see you anymore_

Mr. Weasley smiled and danced over to exchange partners with Bill even though he had danced with Amala for only a few seconds. Ginny nodded as she watched her parents shuffle around the floor lost in each other's eyes.

_I would not leave you in times of trouble  
We never could have come this far  
I took the good times, I'll take the bad times  
I take you just the way you are_

_I need to know that you will always be_  
_The same old someone that I knew_  
_Ah, what will it take till you believe in me?_  
_The way that I believe in you?_

_I said I love you and that's forever_  
_And this I promise from the heart_  
_I could not love you any better_  
_I love you just the way you are_

_I don't want clever conversation_  
_I never want to work that hard_  
_I just want someone that I can talk to_  
_I want you just the way you are._

Ron seemed to have trouble talking to Vash as they danced and seemed even more uncomfortable as Vash leaned her head onto his shoulder. When the dance ended she impulsively gave in and gave Ron a quick peck on the cheek as everyone applauded. Vash hurried over to stand by her sister and Bill as everyone lined up to say thanks for the evening and goodbye.

Vash had pulled Ginny aside and apologized if she had done irreparable harm to Ron and Ginny laughed and said that her brother's heart was already spoken for. Vash said she already knew that from the way Ron wouldn't meet her gaze while they danced. Vash said it was okay anyway. She gave both Ginny and Hermione a hug and managed a small curtsey for Harry. Harry told her that he hoped that they all would meet Vash and her sister again. Vash hurried and caught her arm up in Bill's elbow as they headed down the stairway.

Ginny, Harry and Hermione walked down with Kirk and Sally Forrester as the Ferventons and Weasleys said their goodbyes by the floo. Bill had already left with Amala and Vash to escort them home. Kirk leaned in to have a quick whisper in Harry's ear and then the Forresters left for their own apartment.

The Ferventons wished a pleasant trip home to the Weasleys and the Potters before they disappeared into the green flames. Harry went back up to the roof to check that Dobby and Tride had finished the cleanup while Ginny rescued Ron from the taunting of the twins. There was a last cup of tea in the kitchen for everyone who wasn't too sleepy. Molly gave everyone a hug goodnight and then went upstairs. Arthur said it was a good party and that the goodbyes could wait till the morning. Harry smiled and led his wives back up the stairs one more time as they headed for bed.

Xxxx xxxx

_THWACK!_

"Ow! What was that for Harry and how did you do that from over there?"

"That was for suggesting the shoes to Ginny earlier Nonnie. As to the how, Sally insisted that Kirk tell me the word for the spanking hex before they left tonight. Kirk said he would be in trouble if he didn't tell me how to do that."

"Spanking hex? Cool. Remind me to send a thank you letter to her" Ginny said as she returned from the loo.

Hermione looked at Ginny as she rubbed the spot where the hex hit her.

"Do I get a chance to kiss it and make it better Nonnie?" Harry asked.

Ginny had peaked into the back of Hermione's trousers. "It didn't leave a mark Jamie. Sorry."

"Ginny Potter- that was just mean. I am thinking about Harry's offer."

"Well while you are thinking, I'm going to see if Jamie has mastered the spell. And then he _can_ kiss it and make it better." Ginny came up and dropped a kiss on Harry's lips before heading for the bed. Once Ginny reached the bedside, she dropped her pants and knickers and leaned over the bedside so that her bum was wiggling toward her husband. "One on each cheek should suffice I think. But you do promise to kiss it and make it better?"

Harry nodded slowly, a little bit intrigue by Vixen's willingness but his jaw dropped as Nonnie sidled closer and whispered in his ear. "She'll probably want to feel what the difference is between your hand and the spell also. I might too. What does the idea of four blushing cheeks do to you Jamie?"

Harry gulped once and tried to remember if the spell was 'Depalmavi' or 'Defieri'. He thought he would be in big trouble himself if he got it wrong. Ginny's smile back over her shoulder reminded him how much he loved both his wives.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34 – A Crowded Day

Tride had left Egypt a few minutes earlier than Harry, Hermione and Ginny did. The threesome were not too surprised when they saw a group of house elves and a few other people waiting for them when they appeared at Potter Manor. The three greeted a few of the elves by name as their baggage was taken up to the bedrooms. Harry was happy to go over to receive a hug from Remus Lupin while Tonks came across the hall to welcome Hermione and Ginny back.

"So how was Cairo?" she asked.

"It depends on who you ask" Hermione said. "We three had a great time most of the time and got to explore a newly opened tomb with Ginny's brother Bill and the rest of the Weasleys. If you ask Ron Weasley, he didn't do so well. He got attacked by an Acromantula, received some severe burns, had part of his hair turned green, almost got bit by a camel and broke his wand."

"And Molly didn't do anything against the twins for all that?" queried Remus.

"The twins didn't pull a single prank on anybody while we were there. It was quite abnormal of them."

Remus and Harry walked back to where the ladies were talking. Harry winked at Ginny and pulled Tonks around to give her ribs a severe tickling. Tonks collapsed on the ground screaming for help as she tried to reach her wand to get back at Harry.

Remus shook his head sadly and finally reached down to grab Harry by the collar and pull him up. "What was that about?"

"I just wanted to see if the DMLE trained their aurors to defend against a tickle attack. Apparently not."

Tonks straightened up and pinched Harry's cheek a little too hard. "There's never been a report of a Death Eater using tickling as an attack strategy."

"Is that because it never happened or somebody was just too embarrassed to report it happened to them?"

Tonks turned an exasperated eye to the giggling Mrs. Potters. "Would you two try to control him? I'm not sure Madame Bones would believe me if I filed a report saying that I was attacked at Potter Manor."

"I'm sorry Tonks; I promise I won't do that again."

"And he'll keep that promise or we'll tell you where and how the Right Honorable Harry Potter can be reduced to a pile of giggles himself."

"Thank you Ginny."

Harry came over and went down on one knee to kiss Tonks hand in apology and she pinched his nose for his efforts. Harry rose and looked at the pair of friends and shook his head. "I actually wanted to ask the two of you if you have an hour or two or time to spare now? I've got to go to that Board of Governors' meeting Thursday afternoon and while Lord Gryffindor may have some specific plans for changes, he liked to get a few more ideas to toss around."

"We're both free now but I forgot about the meeting you had. Madame Bones granted me another pass to see Sirius that afternoon. I'll see if I can get it rescheduled."

Harry frowned. "Don't do that. It's hard enough to schedule a visit let alone a makeup. Just tell my godfather I miss him and I'll try to get out to see him soon."

"We've got all those pictures of you and the Weasleys that showed up in the Daily Prophet. You three are quite photogenic."

"They actually printed some of us?" Ginny asked.

Tonks nodded. "A few even appeared on the front pages. We've saved them all to take to Sirius."

"Bring them along to the study then." Harry looked around and found the major domo. "Knop?"

"Yes Lord Harry?"

"Could you have someone bring some tea and coffee to my study for us? Before you go, how are Llasol and Harmionny?"

"They are both well and my grand-elf desires to see you because she is too young to remember your faces and voices from the ceremony. Llasol and Rettus have been telling her tales of you three."

"Is that allowable? For us to see her? I know you are all protective of your young."

"You only have to say it's okay; Rettus and Llasol trust your word about not harming her. It's a little unusual for someone so young to express herself so purposely though. She's very curious about you all."

"Why don't you bring Harmionny, Llasol and Rettus to see us after supper?"

"As you wish. In the meantime, your refreshments will be in the study in a few minutes. Is there anything else I may do for you three?"

"I don't think so Knop. We'll be absent for part of the afternoon but aren't sure about returning for supper."

"I'll inform the staff." Knop turned and vanished and Harry had a feeling that he had just gone to the kitchen.

By the time Harry and the others go to the study off the library, there was a tray with coffee, tea and a small pile of croissants and scones. Harry let everyone grab what they wanted and get settled before he hopped up on the edge of the desk to speak.

"I've already got some changes in mind for the staff and curriculum at Hogwarts. Nothing will be finished in time to make changes for this year but maybe we can get some ideas out and help the first years coming in. Hermione, are there papers and quills in here?"

"Middle drawer to the right Harry."

Harry went around to the back of the desk and opened the drawer. He smiled as he saw the contents. "Thank you Hermione." He passed out some yellow pads of paper and some ballpoint pens to hand around to everyone. "That's one idea that I'm going to try and push right away. There's no need in this twentieth century to be writing like we're in the fourteenth. It's horrible for left-handers to write over fresh ink and these pens aren't affected much by magic."

"Do you think any of the professors will go for that change Harry?"

"McGonagall and Flitwick already grade with pens like these so maybe it will get a boost if they allow it in their classrooms and for homework. We can only suggest it."

Harry handed out the pads of paper and pens and gave everyone twenty minutes to write down their ideas. He sat down himself and wrote down the ideas he had. He had told Ginny and Hermione about making changes while on the cruise and he had seen that they had written down some ideas of their own.

When the twenty minutes were up, Harry had everyone pass their pads one person to the left so everyone could see what had been written. At five minutes intervals the pads were passed again so that all the different ideas could be viewed. Harry saw some interesting ones from everyone and saw a Marauder style suggestion or two written on Remus' pad.

Harry was going to ask Hermione to compile a composite list when they were through but she just added to a copy of the list she had written for herself. When all the pads had been passed back to their originators Harry just walked over to look over Hermione's shoulder. "Good job, Nonnie" he whispered in her ear and kissed her cheek. He paused at Ginny's chair to do the same but found a wand pointed at him when he approached Tonks.

Harry laughed and Tonks giggled as she turned to look at Remus. "I'm not poaching." Remus's blush was enough answer and Harry turned his back before going to the desk.

"Hermione's compiled a list of everyone's ideas and I'm glad I asked a recent graduate and a slightly older mentor for their input. There's a few ideas that are common to all the lists and I'll be presenting those to the Board. There's not enough time to change schedules this year but I think the Headmaster might be open to having guest lecturers in some courses and some voluntary participation in a series of presentations. I'd really like to ease some of these changes in for the first year class coming in to make it a little easier on them. What do you think?"

"Changes in the three other houses might be easier if we got Gryffindor to begin with the mentoring and exercise programs."

Remus spoke up in response to the statement from one of the Mrs. Potters. "That might be true Ginny but for those students facing OWLS or NEWTS there won't be a lot of voluntary participation."

"Maybe some other incentives could be provided for them; demonstrations from Aurors or additional Hogsmeade times. There's time in the early fall or late spring for a couple of hours after supper to go down to the village."

"That's good idea Tonks; maybe something for the teachers to discuss once school begins. I'm going to give our final list to Dumbledore when we settle on it so he'll have some idea what's going on before the meeting."

"He's hired a new secretary while you were off gallivanting around. A Wilhelmina Gowdie - she seems quite competent."

"There was famous Scottish witch named Isobel Gowdie. She was supposedly hanged and burned in 1622."

"_Hanged and burned_? A little bit of overzealousness there. That's not a conversation starter Hermione."

"Honestly Harry! I have a little more tact than that. I wouldn't have mentioned it to her but maybe it's just a coincidence. It was in the appendix of famous witches in…"

"Hogwarts: A History" finished Harry, Ginny and Remus.

Hermione wasn't sure she should be put out or not about being teased about her favorite book. Ginny patted her hand and scraped one fingernail across her palm in a well-established flirting gesture and she responded to Ginny's smile with one of her own.

"Okay let's get down to the discussion part of this combined list. Remus, could you explain to me about your idea of working off taken points?"

The discussion about workable and possible ideas continued on until it was time for lunch. Harry and the others ate while they looked at the Daily Prophet and the pictures of the Weasley's time in Egypt. Some were front page stuff while the pictures of Harry and his wives seemed to end up on the society pages, not that Harry was complaining about that. There was a picture of the entire Weasley family meeting Ambassador Ferventon and his staff the first day of their vacation. A picture of Harry being kissed on the cheeks by both of his wives appeared on page six of the same paper with a small title of "The Boy Who Was Smitten". That caused a few laughs from Tonks and Remus and a blush from Harry.

Other front page pictures of the Weasleys included everyone gathered in front of the Viking ship and the group riding around on the scooters. Harry was really pleased by the way that Jacques had taken the pictures and the life he brought to each of them. Ginny's favorite picture out of all the ones that appeared in the paper was the one taken of the group before they went into the tomb. It was the one that had Harry siting on the ground with Hermione and Ginny flanking him and all the Weasleys lined up behind them. Jacques had caught the action of Scabbers jumping out of Ron's pocket and the startled look on Harry's face when the rat landed on Harry's shoulder. The picture was so clear that one could even see that Scabbers had a claw missing from one of his front paws.

Harry knew that Remus was going to take all the newspapers with him and the Weasleys in it to Azkaban for Remus. He had Tonks duplicate the ones with the Weasleys on the front pages until the original prints were sent on to him by Jacques O'Brien.

Tonks had to report for duty after lunch and Harry watch Remus escort her to the floo point. Harry headed for the owlery as his wives went upstairs to change and unpack. Hedwig was both glad and upset to see Harry after a two week absence. She nipped his ear as he was talking to her but leaned into his caress as he ruffled the feathers on her chest. Harry told her he had a message for her to take to Neville and his grandmother asking about signing some proxies for Harry's voting rights in the Wizengamot.

Harry had just fastened the letter to Hedwig's leg and released her when Llasol popped into the owlery. "Welcome home Harry. I hope your vacation was enjoyable. The ladies request your presence in the main bedroom."

"Thank you Llasol. Who's watching your elfling now?"

"There's no shortage of volunteers to watch the only elfling here. Although I should say that with your approval of more marriages, there may be a few more elflings around Potter Manor in a couple months."

Harry smiled. "That's wonderful news. Please extend our congratulations to those couples and invite them to come see us in the common areas any time before we head back for school."

"As you wish Harry; I will extend your invitation. You'd best be heading upstairs though. Both Lady Ginny and Lady Hermione were insisting you help them with unpacking."

"Thank you Llasol. I'll be on my way."

Harry didn't want to keep his ladies waiting but wondered why they had sent Llasol when they could just have easily sent him a mental message. He found the answer when he opened the door to their bedroom. Harry made sure the door was quickly closed and locked behind him as he turned to look at his wives. "I suppose there is some reasonable explanation for this?"

"We just don't know what to wear to go see Tony and Dee later this afternoon" Ginny started.

"I'm not sure if we're staying for supper or going out someplace there or bringing them back here to eat" Hermione finished.

"So because you couldn't decide what we were going to do, you couldn't decide what to wear?"

"Exactly!" came from two very attractive witches.

Harry walked a little closer to where the two were standing. "So you decided not to wear anything at all?"

Both girls giggled as they came over to hug their husband. "You disapprove of our outfits Jamie?"

"Heaven's no. But you know, I'm not exactly sure what we're doing either."

"So you don't know how to dress either?" Ginny said. Very hopefully.

"No I don't." Harry started unbuttoning his shirt. "I guess we'll just have to lie around and discuss this then until we figure out what we are going to do."

"We have some ideas Jamie." Hermione grinned as she reached for Harry's belt buckle.

"I bet you both do Nonnie." Harry drew both of his wives into a kiss as they helped divest him of his clothes.

Xxxx xxxx

Three figures emerged from the floo at the Granger household with only a minimum of dust and disturbance. Hermione called out for her parents and then walked over to the phone to call their office. She spoke for a couple of minutes and then hung up. "They are in the middle of closing up and coming home so we have about a half hour until they arrive."

"Dobby" Harry called out. Dobby immediately appeared wearing a white cape with blue and orange dragons on it. Harry was always surprised at the variety of different capes he appeared in every day; they would have to find some really different to give him for the holidays.

"Dobby could you pop back to the Manor and bring that yellow car back and place it in the Granger's garage with a tarp over it?"

"Of course Harry Potter, sir. At once. Is there anything else Dobby might do for his grand lordness and his lovely ladies?"

"No Dobby, that is quite enough for now. Thank you."

Dobby sniffled once at being thanked and both Ginny and Hermione secretly smiled at the devotion the free elf had to their husband. Dobby smiled at everyone once and then snapped his fingers once and disappeared. All three felt his presence a minute later in the garage and peeked out to see that their surprise was discreetly covered. Dobby waved again at them, bowed and promptly disappeared.

"Have you asked him about going to Hogwarts with us yet Harry?"

"Not yet. I'm going to let him get back into the swing of things around the Manor before I ask him. He may have other things he might want to do than wait on us."

Ginny scoffed loudly. "That has about as much a possibility of happening as that Basilisk coming to life again after it got rendered down into parts."

Harry winced at the mention of the Basilisk and decided he needed to go down to the Chamber of Secrets again to look at it. He'd had a very vivid nightmare about it chasing him a few nights ago but hadn't told the girls about it.

Hermione spoke out from the kitchen. "There's still some sodas and a couple of butterbeers left in the fridge here. Anybody want something to drink?"

"I'll take some water." Harry said.

"A ginger ale if there's one. Otherwise no." Ginny answered.

Hermione came back into the living room and handed Ginny a ginger ale and put a couple of bottles of water on the table in front of the couch. Ginny took a sip out of her can and then put it down.

Harry settled down on the couch and both girls took an end and placed their legs over Harry's lap. "Feel good to be back Nonnie?"

"A little; this will always hold special memories for me growing up and having the two of you here. Potter Manor's my home now. Actually, it's wherever the two of you are."

Harry had a sudden smile on his face. "Ginny, do you remember coming and visiting us in our dreams last year over Christmas holidays?"

Ginny looked at the smiles on both her spouses and shook her head. "Sorry, not a clue."

Hermione straightened up and leaned across Harry to give Ginny a hug. "It was the only time last year until near the end when you acted like yourself with us."

"What happened?"

"Do you think we should show her Harry? After all it was a shared dream even if she doesn't rememberit."

Ginny got up to her knees and threatened the both of them. "I want to know. Really."

"Okay but don't tell us we didn't warn you." Hermione opened her memory of the dream the three of them had seemingly shared last Christmas when Harry was staying at the Grangers. Ginny sat back down on the couch and snuggled up to Harry's side and closed her eyes. She smiled as the memory played but her smile turned into a blush as she opened her eyes and looked at her mates. The blush continued and Harry wasn't the only one to notice that Ginny's breathing had increased and she was squirming a little at his side.

"Okay there Gin?"

"Uh-huh. It's just a little weird watching myself like this."

Ginny squirmed more as the dream continued to be shown to her and she got redder and redder. She finally threw up her mental shields and ran away from Harry's side toward the downstairs bathroom. Harry watched her run away and turned back to Hermione. "Did she go off to…?"

"Compose herself? Yes and I'm not going to pry and suggest anything different."

'_**I think she liked that dream Nonnie.'**_

"_**It appears she wasn't the only one Harry.'**_ Hermione giggled and Harry attacked her with both hands. And that's how her parents found them. Harry and Hermione having a tickle fight on the floor while Ginny was standing nearby and giving them both cheers and advice.

"Isn't this where we left them last time?" Dee asked.

"Yes but I think the last we saw of them Hermione was on top."

Hermione wrenched herself free from Harry's grasp and stood up. "Don't…you…say… one …thing about the word 'top' Mr. Potter."

Harry leaned back on his elbows on the floor trying to catch his breath. "Hi Dee, Tony."

Tony Granger leaned over and gave Harry a hand up as his wife was busy hugging Hermione and Ginny. She finally released the girls. "I take it the vacation with Arthur, Molly and the others went well?"

"It was super Mrs. G, err, Dee. We got to visit a newly opened tomb that Harry discovered for Bill."

"Why am I not surprised that Harry did something unusual?" Dee said. She came over to give Harry a hug and then a kiss on top of his head. "Both girls look especially tan and happy."

'_**Especially Ginny.'**_

'_**Nonnie!'**_

"Is this a dinner visit or did you just drop by to leave a vintage car in our garage?"

"Isn't that a swell car Tony? We were hoping that it could be restored and put on the road so that we could all learn to drive on it. I'll pay whatever it takes to get it running again."

"Learner's permits can't be issued until you're fifteen but I'll have to check and see how surprise car is going to get registered. You didn't have a bill of sale or anything with you?"

"It was in a garage I found I owned" Harry said. "Maybe we could get someone to make up some paperwork."

Tony laughed. "Okay. How about you stay for supper and you can tell us all about your adventures in Egypt. We can call for Chinese if you'd like."

"Yes. With dumplings?"

"Yes Ginny, even with dumplings."

Dee, Tony and Harry went out to the kitchen to look at the takeout menu from the Chinese restaurant they liked and Hermione went and sat by a suddenly quiet Ginny. "Are you okay there?"

"I'm so embarrassed; that dream was so hot and then I had to run away before I jumped Harry.."

"I'm pretty sure that Harry wouldn't have minded one bit."

"I know that but do you think I'm weird that I really enjoyed watching myself with you two?"

"No, you've watch Harry and me have some fun and he's watched us and I've watched the two of you. I'm happy that you're pleasing each other and I feed off that a little bit. If you really like watching yourself, we can set up some mirrors or you can watch our memories."

Ginny blushed but gave Hermione a quick kiss to the lips. "Thank you for understanding."

'_**Ginny, you are not different than Harry and I. We all have unique things we're still finding about ourselves. And that's part of our growing up.' **_

"Who's going with me to pick up the food?" Tony asked.

"Harry?"

"I'll go. It's obviously time for the ladies to chat." Harry went over to kiss both Hermione and Ginny before he left with his father-in-law. Ginny was insistent about whispering her apologies into Harry's ear but he said she had nothing to apologize for. Ginny smiled and gave him an extra little squeeze before he left.

While Tony and Harry were gone for the food, the girls set up the kitchen table and talked about some of the times they had in Egypt. Dee was fascinated that they had gone on a flying carpet and had Hermione tell her all about the tour they took over and around Cairo.

The supper with Hermione's parents was a good opportunity to reconnect and get comfortable with each other. Harry enjoyed taking his turn telling stories with Hermione and Ginny about their time in Egypt. He found he was starting to dread the reaction to the other news he had to tell them. Dee, at least, noticed he had become a little withdrawn. She came around the table to lean on Harry's shoulder. "Why are you so glum all of a sudden? Not dreading going back to school are you?"

"No, that's not it. I guess it's confession time."

Dee went back to sit next to Tony. "So what have you done that you need to confess to us? It's not something with Hermione or Ginny is it?"

"No but I did do something to your house."

Tony looked at Hermione. "Did you know about this princess?"

"Not until a few days ago dad. He confessed to Arthur and Molly first because he was afraid of their reaction. He's a little afraid of yours too."

Harry watched Tony level his gaze on him and then drop his voice a little. "What did you do?"

"I had the goblins upgrade the wards on your house to make it more secure."

Dee jumped up yelling and held out her hand to her husband. Harry watched a little incredulously as Tony brought out his wallet and handed some money to his wife.

"You knew?"

"Almost as soon as we returned from Venice. The wager was whether there were extra wards around or Harry had asked one of his house elves to come and protect us and stay invisible."

"How could you tell?" Ginny asked.

Dee smiled at her husband and picked up a bottle of soy sauce that sat on the table. Everyone watched her as she casually dropped it on the floor. It broke, reformed and came back up her hand with no spilled mess.

"Something like happened the first night we came home. Two days later a bird flew through the front window breaking it totally. We watched as the bird revived, flew backward and the glass reformed. That's some pretty strong magic that happened without any of you three being here."

Harry's face was as red as Ginny's hair. "I think the goblins may have gone a little overboard. I'll go ask them to tone it back a little if that's okay with you."

Dee and Tony were both chuckling at Harry's discomfort but Tony came over to throw an arm around his son-in laws shoulders. "We appreciate the consideration but we just can't have a perfectly preserved household. The neighbors would eventually notice some of the strange events happening."

"Harry will have it fixed" Hermione said. "Just so you know, if things get very difficult here, he's ordered the house elves to come here and bring you back to Potter Manor."

"Is that a possibility?" Dee asked nervously.

"We don't think so but we are trying to think of every possibility. There's a special ward that's keeping the magical press away."

"That would explain a particularly dreadful person that tried to get us to talk about our daughter or Harry Potter at the airport when we got back. We pretended we didn't know anything about either of you."

"That's good. She didn't identify herself by some chance did she?"

"Rita… Skeeter I think she said; she was especially annoying."

Hermione suddenly let out a little gasp. "Harry did you think about their office?"

Harry winced. "No sorry, I'll go to Gringotts tomorrow and straighten everything out and get your office covered also."

"I've got to ask Harry – is this very expensive?"

"Less expensive than putting everyone though a funeral service or two."

Dee went white and Tony went and held his wife. "That wasn't very nice Harry."

"I'm sorry Tony and Dee – that was thoughtless and I regret saying it like that. The Death Eaters have no scruples, no guilt, no morals and no mercy from all I've heard about them. I'll protect you as best I can with as little disturbance to your normal lives but I will try to protect you. I can't lose another set of parents."

Dee came back over to hug Harry. "We love you too Harry."

Hermione was very annoyed that Harry had scared her parents and he apologized mentally as best he could. The three returned a little later to Potter Manor but were all upset for different reasons.

Harry found Hedwig waiting on the balcony outside their bedroom with a return letter from the Longbottoms. He didn't have a chance to read it to Hermione and Ginny before they had visitors. There was a knock on the door to the bedroom and Ginny called out that it was okay to enter. Llasol and Rettus stood in the doorway and a half-sized elfling was between them holding their hands. Before Rettus or Llasol could say anything, Harmionny pulled out of her parents grip, ran across the room and launched herself at a surprised Harry.

Harry bent down a little to scoop up the little elfling and lift her up. Harmionny laughed and smiled at him but Llasol was almost yelling at the youngster for her behavior. The elfling poked Harry's face with her fingers and traced his ears; she then sneezed in his face twice. Ginny and Hermione were a little shocked to see that Rettus had knelt down with his face touching the carpeting. Harry went down to one knee to let the elfling go back to her mother but she immediately assumed the same position as her mate. Llasol had also dragged the elfling down to the floor beside her. Harry was confused about what had just happened. "You two can get up now. Nothing wrong has occurred here."

Rettus raised his head but nothing else. "It is taboo to touch the Lord of the House. It is one of the oldest of our laws and we have allowed our elfling to become too familiar with you Lord Potter."

Harry sighed. It had not gone well for him over the last hour or so. He spoke softly in what he hoped was an understanding tone. "I do not understand this trespass but I have no reason to find fault or guilt with either you two or your elfling. Do not punish yourselves or her for something we find no offence in."

Rettus slowly climbed to his feet and Llasol followed his example. Harry shook his head as Hermione and Ginny came forward to talk to Llasol and Harmionny. Harmionny seemed to have realized her parents were upset with her but she did listen and smile when Llasol, Ginny and Hermione talked for a while.

The three house elves took only another couple of minutes before they backed out of the bedroom. Rettus and Llasol apologized again and again for the action of their elfling in spite of Harry's insistence to the contrary. The bedroom door clicked close finally and Harry collapsed on one of the chairs holding his head.

Harry was feeling despondent about what had happened but Ginny and Hermione sat on the arms of the chair and rubbed his back and head for a few minutes. Harry eventually raised his upset face to look at his two best friends. "This day could have ended a lot better for me. First I frightened your parents Hermione and the first two house elves we knew are going to punish themselves over an accidental encounter."

"You've just had a long afternoon Harry and you're tired. You haven't done anything wrong in either of our books."

"Thanks Ginny but I know a little better. I messed up at the Grangers and I should have thought before I picked up…"

Hermione gently kissed Harry on the forehead. "Ginny's right; you are overtired and not thinking straight. How about we all head for bed for a nice long cuddle and a good night's sleep?"

"That sounds perfect Nonnie. I really don't deserve you two."

"We know that Harry but you are still stuck with us anyway."

Harry laughed a little sadly but did kiss Ginny and Hermione before they walked over to the bed and stripped off their shoes, shirts and pants. Clad only in their underwear, the three Potters cuddled up close to one another and almost immediately fell fast asleep.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35 – Two New Homes

"Harry, can I tell you something without you getting offended?"

Harry looked at Ginny who seemed very nervous for some reason. "I guess so Gin. Have I done something wrong or badly that I'm not aware of?"

"No, nothing wrong. I just wanted to let you and Hermione know something."

Hermione came over and sat next to the redhead. She picked up Ginny's hand and stroked the back of it. "So what's worrying those gorgeous brown eyes of yours?"

Ginny ducked her head, slightly embarrassed. "I like and appreciate the things we do as a couple Harry, Nonnie and as a trio with all of us. And I'm certainly not complaining about the attention or anybody's techniques…."

"But…" Harry led.

"I've realized that I'm really quite content and happy to just to be with you and have snuggles and quiet times alone with one or both of you. I hope you aren't disappointed with me."

Instead of the anger or resentment Ginny expected, she was shocked that Hermione just smiled and tightened her grip on her hand. Harry however couldn't contain himself and broke out laughing.

"It's not funny" Ginny protested.

Harry reached for his composure and came over to hug Ginny and, incidentally, Hermione. "I'm not laughing at you Ginny. I'm laughing at myself and a little at Hermione. We've been the ones making the assumptions about you."

Hermione kissed Ginny's temple and snuggled a little closer to her. "I wished you had realized this a little while ago."

Ginny looked at her mates and tried to make sense of their behavior. "I'm confused. Didn't you hear what I said? I don't need to be as physical with you two as I've let on."

Harry knelt down in front of Ginny and stared up into her confused face. "You haven't done anything wrong and I guess we've all walked ourselves into a little trap here. I've always said that I'm just content to have the both of you near and snuggled up to me at night. The things we do are great but it isn't the sole or most important basis or our marriage. I.."

"We.." Hermione corrected.

"We thought _you_ were the one that wanted to be more physical."

"I wanted… want you two to be happy" Ginny grumbled.

Hermione turned Ginny's face so that she could look into her eyes. "We are happy with or without the sex. All Harry and I want is your presence in our lives; it doesn't have to be physical although that's quite nice. And you are not some sort of scarlet woman throwing herself at us for our enjoyment, if that's what you might have been thinking."

Ginny looked to Harry and then to Hermione. And then again. She started smiling and then a giggle escaped her mouth. "We must never let Mum or the twins know about this."

Harry was smiling. "About what Mrs. Potter?"

Ginny started speaking again and her laughter started to catch on with the two others. "That we…"

".. have been so worried about.."

"…making sure that the others felt wanted and good…"

"…that we've been…"

"….going overboard to make sure that everyone is sexually satisfied." Hermione finished both Harry and Ginny's comments.

Ginny laughed as she wiped out her watery eyes. "I'm so sorry you two. I thought you wanted more."

"And Hermione and I both made the same assumptions about the other two in the relationship" Harry said.

"We're unofficially nitwits" Ginny said laughingly.

"No, we're officially married and in love" Hermione corrected. "We just want the best for each other."

Harry pretended to pout just the littlest bit. "I thought I was."

Both girls turned and hugged their husband. "You are dummy but we don't want to wear 'EM' out needlessly."

'_**There's little chance of that!'**_

'_**Little?'**_

"You two stop that or I won't take you along."

That statement immediately stopped the mental laughter from the two girls. "Where are we going Harry?"

"I'm not sure you two deserve to go after picking on me like that."

Both Hermione and Ginny calmly settled back on their seats and Harry squirmed a little under their combined gaze. "Okay, you know I really can't refuse you two when you both stare at me. There ought to be a law that keeps wives from influencing their husbands like this."

Both Ginny and Hermione smiled and stood up to give Harry a good hug. "You are soooo mistreated, Mr. Potter."

Harry laughed and held up a portkey. "We have a couple hours to go exploring this last Unplottable location the goblins gave us. Dobby was of the opinion that we would enjoy this place."

"I'll wait and see what Dobby thinks is good" Ginny said.

Hermione summoned some jackets for them all from their closet and they put them on. Harry, remembering the muddy landing at Bolingbroke Castle, caste a water repelling charm on their footwear and pants and said they were ready to go.

Ginny held onto Harry's hand but Hermione stood in front of her husband and wrapped his arm around her middle. She turned her head to give Harry a kiss. "Just for luck."

Pressing the portkey, Harry called out the destination. "Kirkcaldy Lodgling"

The three closed their eyes as the portkey magic seized them and transported them away from Potter Mansion.

Xxxx xxxx

A second they all felt the landing in ankle high grass and Harry, Hermione and Ginny opened their eyes. "It's just gorgeous Harry" Hermione beamed.

"This is really all ours?" Ginny whispered.

Harry nodded but all three were distracted by loud cheers that were coming from behind them. They turned to watch a number of soccer games being held on a large open area that started about 50 yards behind the Lodgling. The cheers came from a team that had just scored a goal and Harry couldn't help smiling at the celebration being carried on by the groups of kids.

"They can't see us can they?"

"I'm pretty sure between the wards and the muggle-repelling spells, we and the building are invisible Ginny."

"Thanks Hermione but I don't feel invisible."

"We could pretend you aren't here I suppose" Harry said before he dodged to avoid Ginny's swing at him. "But shouldn't we look around and inside our new place?"

Kirkcaldy Lodgling was a quaint two story building. It was covered by a thatch roof and the walls were a combination of cobblestones, yellowed plaster and wood. There was a brick chimney at each end of the building and the doors and windows were outlined in a darker wood. That darker wood trim was also spread around the walls at various places and seemed to exist as the external framework somehow. There were a few windows up high that suggested there might be a second story to the cottage.

The three walk around the back of the lodgling and commented on how special it seemed. It held a certain grace and timeliness that made it feel very warm and comforting – even from outside. The whole building was only about 60 feet long by 30 feet wide. Harry stood back and took a good look at the thatched roof and wondered how tall the second story would turn out to be. It was obviously built centuries ago when people were generally shorter.

Coming around to the front of the building, Harry and the others paused to stare at the scenery the Lodgling overlooked. They were on the top of a hill right on the coast and the sudden sound of the surf and the gulls rose and fell as both the tide and wind surged and flowed. There were two long wrought iron benches in front of the house and Harry sat down on the closest and just relaxed. Hermione came and sat down beside him while Ginny asked to sit on Harry's lap for a bit. Harry smiled as he pulled the redhead down to get comfortable.

"I could stay here for a year or two and never move as long as the both of you were here with me."

"Me too Harry." Hermione pointed to a cluster of buildings less than a half mile away. "That must be the town of Kirkcaldy. We could pop down there and find a restaurant or pub for our meals."

Ginny smiled into Harry's neck. "I like Nonnie's idea. Could we just spend a week here before we go back to school? No family, no house elves. Just us?"

"As great as that idea sounds, I_ have_ to go to Hogwarts tomorrow for the Board of Governor's meeting. If you want to stay here you can but I think Vika really wants to show all of us our new quarters."

"Fudge."

"The Minister has nothing to do with your decision to go or stay" Harry said saucily as he moved his head to kiss Ginny. Her disappointed look vanished and she sprang to her feet. "Let's at least take a look inside and see if it's as cute inside as out."

There was a small discussion of who should open the door but Harry solved it by pushing both girls forward. Both clasped a hand on the door handle and turned it slowly. There was room enough for both Ginny and Hermione to squeeze through together but they stopped when they saw the interior.

Harry peered over their shoulders and whistled as he got a look at the interior. Hermione and Ginny took a couple of steps inside and were joined by Harry at gazing at the space inside. Wide beams of that darker wood ran across the ceiling and supported the second floor. Half the ceiling was open up to the roof and there was a stairway mounted on the back wall that led upstairs.

On the ground floor there were double sets of windows on the front of the lodgling facing the ocean. To the left on the living room side sat a large couch facing the windows where one could sit and watch the sunset every evening. Additionally, a single person could rest on the wide ledge built into one of the window spaces. The large brick fireplace had a large oval braided rug lying about five feet from the hearth with a loveseat and a single easy chair bracketing a table. Oil lamps were situated at various places around the interior and they seemed to be full and ready to be lit.

The area to the right of the door held a simple oaken dining room table and four chairs. The kitchen ran along the side wall to the fireplace that could substitute as a cooking spot with a few wide openings over the hearth. Harry could almost smell the fresh bread that could be baked once the fire was stoked up. Storage lockers took up most of the wall space on that end of the building but there were a couple of smaller windows letting light in from the north face.

Ginny looked the refrigerator and stove and told Harry that they didn't seem much different than what the Weasleys had at the Burrow. Harry opened the fridge door and called out that they needed to thank Dobby when they returned to Potter Manor. Hermione looked over Harry's shoulder and saw that the fridge was filled with food and drinks enough to last the three of them a long while. Dobby must have updated the kitchen and stcked it when he had visited here.

A large open bookcase separated the kitchen area and the living area downstairs. Ginny and Hermione went to look at the books that were on the shelves while Harry investigated the small room that was built underneath the stairs.

"There's half-bath here" Harry said from the open doorway. "A sink and a toilet."

"Just in time" Hermione said as she scooted by Harry and pushed him back a step so she could close the door. Harry shook his head and turned to Ginny. "I don't suppose a little warning could be given to your husband so he doesn't get trampled in the rush?"

"You could always go in with us Jamie. Neither Hermione nor I am modest enough to mind you being there. We did all have to do our business together back at Griffin's Lair."

Harry blushed and went and sat on the stairway up to the second floor. "Thanks but unless you really need me in there, I'll take a pass."

Hermione came out of the bathroom to lean on Harry where he was sitting on the stairway. "We've had this discussion already Harry. If you have something to talk to us about, we don't mind if you follow us in."

"I can't think of anything that's quite that urgent right now. Shall we go see what the sleeping arrangements are upstairs?"

Ginny bolted up the stairs as soon as Harry stood and he snapped his fingers as he missed a lunge to catch her. His lunge however resulted in a brief coughing jag that held him frozen in place momentarily. Hermione placed a hand on his shoulder until he recovered. He said thanks and continued up the stairs. He and Hermione were just about to the top of the stairs when they heard a big "Whee" coming from their spouse. Harry started laughing when he climbed the last few stairs and saw what Ginny was doing.

There was a huge feather bed that took up about a third of the space in the bedroom on the half floor. Ginny had kicked off her shoes and was bouncing on the bed trying to reach the thatched roof. Even with her shorter height, Ginny was brushing her hands across some of the straw bundles that made up the ceiling.

Hermione didn't mean to yell but her voice seemed really loud in the small area. "Don't pull anything loose there. It's all woven together to stay leak-proof."

Ginny frowned and flopped down on her back and settled in the middle of the bed. "Isn't the view wonderful?"

The two had been watching Ginny but now noticed that there was a big bay window right next to the bed that had a view down the hill, across the beach and out to the Channel. There was a smaller window on the back wall and Harry could just see that the junior soccer games were still going on.

A small woven wooden railing went along the edge of the bedroom and Harry leaned on it cautiously as he looked over the bottom floor. It was a nice homey view and Harry thought the upstairs room would be warm most of the time. They were almost directly over the fireplace downstairs and the low ceiling would hold the heat in well.

Harry turned again to face the bed and saw that Ginny and Hermione were sitting side by side on the edge. "Question?"

"We were just wondering if you wanted to eat in for supper or walk down to the town and find a restaurant?"

"Let me go down and look through the supplies again. I could probably whip up something edible."

"Okay but don't take too long. We have plans."

"Plans, what plans?"

Ginny had taken off her jacket and was fingering the buttons on her shirt nervously. "You remember what I said earlier about snuggling?"

Harry nodded slowly.

"It's Hermione's opinion that the best snuggling is done without clothes so we will wait until you get back up here for your opinion on that."

Harry wondered if he could safely take a shortcut over the railing to land on one of the sofas. He decided against it but as he went down the stairs he saw that both his wives had turned so they could look and talk about the view they had from Kirkcaldy Lodgling. He already had an opinion about the snuggling question. Harry wasn't sure if he wanted to make a meal now or not. Decisions, decisions, decisions. But he did know that he really liked snuggling.

Xxxx xxxx

Hermione, Ginny and Harry flooed into Professor McGonagall's office on Thursday, August 26th about nine in the morning. She, Dumbledore and Vika were all waiting to greet the returning students and Founders Heir.

Vika rushed over to hug Harry like a long lost brother and Harry felt the hair rise up on his head with the small transfer of magic that came with the contact with the magical being. She put Harry down immediately and apologized to Ginny and Hermione for manhandling their husband. They both smiled and just asked that Vika not make a practice of it.

Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall waited for Harry to recover from being welcomed back by Vika. "We're both glad you three seemed to have a nice break and could come by and see us."

"I'm sorry we haven't made the time to come sooner but with all the changes and family vacations, it pretty well took care of most of the summer." Harry looked a little embarrassed in justifying their activities over the summer but Dumbledore and his wife both waved off his concerns.

"Aren't you even a little anxious to see your new quarters?" Vika asked.

Professor McGonagall spoke up a little teasingly. "Vika would like your opinion on her creation. She's only been working on the quarters since she found out you three were going to be the first married Gryffindors in about eighty years."

"I'm sure whatever Harry's niece, aunt… whatever she's defining her relationship as this week, has made will be perfect."

"Thank you Lady Potter."

"Vika, if you're going to hug our husband like that, the least you can do is call us Ginny and Hermione."

"That's one item of discussion we need to work out with you three" Dumbledore said. "What will be the terms of address for yourself and your wives? You are not only a student but a Lord and a member of the Wizengamot."

Harry frowned a little and replied to the question. "We will still be primarily students so Mr. and Mrs. Potter should suffice for classes. As to other titles, we'll keep those to a minimum I hope. I've arraigned a proxy for my vote at the Wizengamot so I won't be missing classes for that."

"We unfortunately have a number of concerns that we need to talk to you about as married students and living in separate quarters."

'_**The 814 Rules of Proper Conduct while attending Hogwarts.' **_Ginny's mental laugh was something that Harry tried not to be distracted by.

"Does this mean spot inspections and checking our trunks for contraband?" Harry asked with a little smile.

Professor McGonagall shook her head. "You've earned your right to privacy but if you start hiding Ginny's brothers or their prank materials, I won't hesitate to assign detentions so you end up spending less time with your wives."

Harry flinched. "You sure know how to hit a guy where it hurts. But we've already told those two we wouldn't take an active part in anything they have planned. But speaking of things to talk about – Hermione?"

Hermione reached into her ever-present bookbag and pulled out some papers. She gave a copy to McGonagall and a copy to Dumbledore; both read them quickly with slightly different reactions. Professor McGonagall smiled broadly but Dumbledore had a thoughtful look on his face as he looked through the items Harry planned on.

"I think I will take this back to my office and read it thoroughly. Perhaps I could look at your quarters at a later date."

"You are always welcome to come by anytime Headmaster. We might even be able to find some of those lemon drops you like so much."

"Thank you… Lady Hermione. I hope the professors won't call on Mrs. Potter very much; it could get quite confusing. Excuse me all."

The rest of the five people watched Dumbledore head out from McGonagall's office still reading the papers that Hermione had given them. Minerva McGonagall looked at the papers on her desk. "I think I will find time to attend the Board of Governor's meeting this afternoon. That looks like a pretty ambitious bit of work Harry."

"I'm afraid Lord Gryffindor is rather insistent about making some much needed changes. I don't think he can force everything he wants but maybe there will be some changes this year that will make things a little easier for everyone and especially for the first years."

Professor McGonagall turned to address Ginny and Hermione. "Are you two coming and witnessing the havoc a visit by Robb Loxley will undoubtedly cause?"

Hermione shook her head. "As fond as we are of the big lunkhead, we hoped we could get a start on moving in and setting up our quarters. Do you or the headmaster mind if we have a house elf here on call? He could work with the Hogwart's elves if he isn't busy with us."

"It's a traditional right of the Head of house to have a servant or two while he is here. It would be your decision at to the extent of his duties."

'_**Big Lunkhead?'**_

'_**You know we're kidding Harry.'**_

'_**We love you whatever form you take.'**_

Vika was practically hopping with excitement. "Let's go see your new quarters."

"Of course, Lady H. Are we walking or are you going to transport us there?"

"I think the other occupants of the castle would like to see the newlyweds."

Harry really hoped Peeves wasn't waiting to see him, Hermione and Ginny. They would be easy targets for the poltergeist and Harry hoped he wouldn't have to expose any of their special talents in dealing with him.

The walk up to the seventh floor was a little unsettling for the three Potters. Harry had some limited experience with differential treatment, but Ginny and Hermione were a little overwhelmed by all the attention. Most of the occupants of the many portraits in the castle bowed, curtseyed, or had words of greeting and encouragement for the new Lord and his Ladies. A greeting from one portrait to Lord Gryffindor stopped Harry in his tracks however. He and Vika went to have a quick word with Sir Guifford the Unbelievable and the former knight apologized and said he would spread the word about the titles Harry didn't want to be addressed by in public.

The two returned to continue walking with Professor McGonagall, Hermione and Ginny. "I am proud to hold the title but for safety's sake, I'd rather not make a bigger target of ourselves. Acch- acchooo!"

Harry sneezed so violently that his glasses flew off his face but Ginny managed to catch them before they hit the ground. Professor McGonagall looked at Harry with some concern. "Gesundheit, Mr. Potter. Are you okay?"

Harry shook his head briefly and then took the glasses Ginny offered him. "I think so. I have no idea where that came from."

The group continued their climb to the seventh floor and passed the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. Harry and the others paused briefly to say hello to Winnie who curtseyed to them. Vika motioned them on and they turned a corner and came to a short corridor that wasn't there previously. The corridor was only about eight feet long and had a full length mirror mounted on the end wall. Vika pointed Harry toward it and said "All yours sire."

Harry went up and looked at his reflection. "Open sesame?" got a round of laughter from the females behind him. Harry grinned and turned to Vika. "So what's the password?"

Professor McGonagall just pointed at the mirror again. "Try knocking on the frame Mr. Potter."

Harry suspected he was about to be pranked in some manner but he did as his Head of House suggested. Harry knocked on the frame of the mirror twice and then stepped back. The mirror suddenly frosted over and then cleared to display a familiar scene from outside the castle. It was the Whomping Willow but this picture had a picnic table sitting under it and two figures apparently having a discussion. The figures rose and approached the other side of the frame. Harry and his wives grinned as they saw who it was.

"Myrtle, you're our door tender now?" The grinning ghost waved at the people out in the corridor and responded.

"Yes, well for at least most of the time. There were any number of volunteers for this post but Vika decided I was the one that had the most reasons to stand guard over you and your wives. When I am not available or in classes there will be one or two other individuals that you know."

Harry had noticed that the other figure had come up to stand behind Myrtle Beechwood. Harry recognized the young man as the ghost he had freed earlier that summer.

"Ginny, Hermione – this is Joshua Valcommon. He was the one sacrificed to power the concealment spells on Salazar's Slytherins tomb. Joshua this is Ginny Weasley Potter and Hermione Granger Potter – my wives."

Joshua made a very low bow to the two ladies. "You do me great honor Ladies. I have not had any experience in meeting and greeting members of an Ancient and Noble House. I hope you will excuse my imperfect and common mannerisms of speech."

Harry blinked at the formality of Joshua's tone but before he could reply Myrtle dug her elbow in her ghostly companion's stomach. "We've talked about this Joshua and I hoped you'd remember. You don't need to go out of your way to talk fancy to these three. It's just Harry, Ginny and Hermione. They aren't like the few lords you remember from your time."

Harry tried to ease the worried look on Joshua's face. "Myrtle is correct Joshua. No fancy titles for us but you'll find out when we need to hide behind them. I hope you will come and join us some nights inside and tell us your story."

"I would be honored Lord P…. Harry."

Ginny suddenly had a frightful notion. "Myrtle, you aren't stuck in the portrait are you? I would hate to think you gave away your freedom just to do a favor for us."

Myrtle smiled. "Vika did some special magic in this portrait." She and Joshua walked off to one side and then poked their heads out off the wall across from them. "We can exit the portrait any time we like and a new guardian is summoned to take our place."

Myrtle pointed back to the picture where Sir Nicholas was sitting at the Professor's table in the Great Hall. "Welcome back you three. Are you staying until school starts?"

"Sorry Sir Nicholas" Hermione said. "Today is just a chance for us to see our new quarters and see what room we have to store things."

"Very well. The other ghosts wished me to convey their congratulations on your marriage and their support. Peeves has even promised to leave you alone but I'm not so sure I'd trust that mad person yet."

"Thank you for the warning then Sir Nicholas. We would like to chat but…"

"Of course. The password?"

Harry looked stumped but then he saw the grin from Hermione. "The new password is Jobberknoll."

"Thank you. I will inform the other gatekeepers as they report in." Sir Nicholas waved his hand once as the door to their new quarters opened in front of them. The five stepped through the doorway and it closed behind them.

Xxxx xxxx

The first thing everyone saw was a short passageway that turned left and headed down some stairs. There was a huge flag that displayed the Potter crest at the end of this passageway and Harry saw that the Gryffindor house crest was hung across from the top of the stairs against that wall.

There were a dozen steps down to their living room and Harry saw that while the Gryffindor house colors of gold and red were prominently displayed there were also the colors of blue, black and green that reflected the other houses that Harry and his Ladies ruled over now.

There were two overstuffed couches and three separate chairs that made up most of the furniture in the room. A large table, compete with matching chairs, had room enough for all three to lay out their homework and sat against one wall. There were four doors that led off in different directions like spokes of a wheel. A small fireplace sat against the wall across from the doors and one of the extra-long couches sat right in front of it.

Vika watched with some sense of accomplishment as the new occupants and Professor McGonagall turned approving glances at their new living room. "This is very good Vika. I don't think I would have changed anything. You even provided enough shelf space for all the books we wanted to bring."

Vika bowed her head in response to Hermione's statement but a gruff voice came from the direction of the fireplace. "Hello Grand-people."

Astonished, Ginny and the others turned to see where the voice had come from. Hanging over the fireplace was a large painting of Hogwarts as seen from the lake. At the forefront of the painting, Godric Gryffindor and Helga Hufflepuff were sitting and waving at the new occupants of the room.

Harry was the first to speak back to the Founders. "Grandfather, Helga – this is a welcome surprise. I couldn't have asked for a better welcoming party. Is this a special occasion or can you visit it on a regular basis?"

Helga Hufflepuff nodded in Vika's direction. "She made the connection up so that we can come anytime we like. We will try not to make a nuisance of ourselves but all you have to do to summon us is to touch the portrait and call out our names."

Hermione turned and enfolded Vika in a hug. "Thank you. This was an extremely generous act. Harry considers the Founders as part of his family even though he won't admit to missing them all summer."

"Godric was the one to suggest the connection. He's happy to have a relative to talk to."

Harry did a little bow to the two Founders and they walked out of the portrait to go back to their own chambers. Harry gave a quick grin to the others and turned back to Vika. "So what's left to see?"

"That door on the far left is a loo for your visitors. The other three doors go to your bedrooms. You might want to start with exploring the middle one first."

"And on that note I shall return to my office" Professor McGonagall said. "Let me know if you need anything else. Vika will come and tell me when you head out for Albus's office."

Harry thanked the professor for her help and got a rare smile in return from the Deputy Headmistress. Hermione and Ginny both came over and told Minerva that she was always welcome to come join them in the evenings.

"I won't be very far away at most times." McGonagall pointed straight up and said that they were located directly underneath the Gryffindor common room. "That does not mean you can take a shortcut straight up if you want to visit Mr. Potter. That kind of surprise might scare the first years."

Harry dropped his mouth in shock but realized that McGonagall was pulling his leg. "And I promise not to make any sudden holes in the ceiling to have our friends drop in."

McGonagall huffed quietly and wagged a threatening finger to Harry. She then turned and walked up the stairway to leave. They heard her give the password to leave and heard Sir Nicholas wish her a good morning.

Ginny and Hermione had already gone ahead to explore the center bedroom. Harry and Vika followed them in saw that the main bedroom seemed to be a decent copy of Harry's old dorm room up in the Gryffindor tower. The only difference was that this bed was triple wide and then some to accommodate the whole family. The curtains were made of nice dark red velvet and there were separate dressers for each person. There was also a wide wardrobe for everyone to store their clothes. Harry's eyes went to the three other doors that led off the master chamber. Two went sideways to the other bedrooms but Harry walked to the other one and opened it.

The bathroom was almost large enough to have an echo. The shower stall had three heads so that Harry, Hermione and Ginny could shower separately or together. There were three sinks and a couple of toilets. But the feature that Ginny and Hermione both cooed about was the sunken tub off to one side. It wasn't a quarter the size of the one in the Prefect's Bathroom but it certainly would be big enough for a family bath. Harry smiled and walked over to give his own hug to Vika.

"This is beyond wonderful Vika. It I didn't think my wives would object, I'd invite you to try the tub out sometime."

Vika roughed up Harry's already unruly locks. "What made you think I haven't already Harry?"

Harry blushed at the notion of another naked female in their bath and Hermione came over and laid a hand on his shoulder. "I'm pretty sure Harry didn't mean to invite you to come try it when it was already occupied Vika."

"No, no, no. I certainly didn't mean that."

"But you could always drop in on me and Ginny if we're having a good soak."

Harry re-blushed and tried to throw a threatening glare at Ginny for her statement. The fact that all three females were giggling at him made the gesture totally useless. Harry fled the bathroom and went to one of the side bedrooms; it (and probably the other one) contained only a single bed and a small closet, dresser and table.

"Is there anything else you would like me to add?"

"Are the bare walls on purpose Vika?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, I thought you would like to decorate this yourself to make it seem more like your own. And I was pretty sure you didn't want any portraits hanging about the walls staring over your shoulders."

"You've certainly got that right" Ginny said as she came into the room. "Can we ask for some help on the rules we have."

"What did you have in mind?"

Hermione looked at Harry and he just waved his hand to let her continue. "Nobody comes unannounced into our bedroom or bath. No ghosts, no Peeves, not even the headmaster."

"That's an easy one but you'll have to be rather insistent with the poltergeist for a time or two."

"I think we can handle that" Harry said.

"You're welcome here anytime Vika but not after curfew unless it's an emergency."

"And sometimes we're not totally dressed in the common areas" Harry blushingly said. "A little warning maybe?"

Vika chuckled but nodded. "Anything else, Lord and Ladies Potter?"

"I hope not" Harry said. "But would you find time to check in with one of us every day? You are already part of the family now."

It was now Vika's turn to blush a little. She kissed him on the cheek and just said "Thanks". Vika gave hugs to both Hermione and Ginny and then abruptly vanished.

"I guess that means it's time to go see the Headmaster and be given our warnings and directives."

"No time to check the beds out Harry?"

"Maybe later, if there's time."

'_**You start humming **_**'We're off to See the Wizard'**_** again and Dumbledore will see you in a full body bind.' **_

'_**Yes Hermione.'**_

Xxxx xxxx

It wasn't a long distance to reach Dumbledore's office but the three had some time to discuss how and what they wanted to decorate their new rooms with. There will some individual things Ginny and Hermione wanted to bring from their old homes and Potter Manor but Harry had to be prodded a little to speak up about some of the things he really wanted to have around him.

They were discussing some wall hangings when they turned the final corner to see a new person sitting at the bottom of the revolving stairway. Well she wasn't exactly sitting on the bottom of the stairway; Wilhelmina Gowdie was in a sort of demi-office. There were four walls making a little cubicle but it was split down the middle. A five foot wide gap split the office into two halves but there was a large desk blocking the way to reach the gargoyle and the revolving stairway.

The three cautiously peered around one corner to get a glimpse of Dumbledore's new secretary and personal assistant. Mrs. Gowdie (as Harry spied a ring and band on her ring finger) was sitting at her desk looking over some paperwork that almost overfilled the 'IN' box that sat on her desk. Harry saw an atypical typewriter sitting on a desk corner and it was clacking away writing something with no hands actually typing on the keyboard.

Wilhelmina Gowdie seemed to be a little older than Mr. and Mrs. Weasley but that was just a guess as witches didn't show their age as muggles did. She was still very attractive in sort of way and Harry hoped that the other male students at Hogwarts didn't pester her too much in trying to flirt with her. Much like Madame Rosamerta down at the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade, there seemed to be ready smile on her face as she looked up from the pile of paperwork that she was sorting.

Harry stepped up to desk front. "Hello, I'm…

"Mr. Harry Potter, of course" Mrs. Gowdie said. "Minerva said you would be along in a few minutes. Now which one of these lovely ladies is Hermione and which one is Ginevra?"

"Ginny" said Ginny as she held out her hand.

"And that makes me Hermione." Hermione was a little surprised at the strength in the woman's handshake but there was no hostility in her features.

"I'm glad to meet you three; there's been a lot of things written about you." Harry rolled his eyes but then smiled as the executive assistant continued. "Not that I believe everything I read Mr. Potter. The headmaster said you might be frequent visitors to his office."

"I hope he qualified that by saying it would be for good reasons, not punishments Mrs. Gowdie."

The older witch thought for a second and then shook her head. "He actually didn't say one way or the other but I took a quick look at all three of your files when he said you would be in the school today for meetings."

Harry held his breath as he waited for the next comment. Both girls were trying not to squirm under her gentle gaze.

Mrs. Gowdie smiled. "I'm pretty impressed by all your grades and accomplishments. If no one else is around you may call me Nina."

"Thank you Nina. We'd better not keep the headmaster waiting. It's been nice meeting you."

"Well hurry on up. The password today is "Ice Mice". I hope to see you later but I'm heading down to the Great Hall for lunch and to start getting ready for the Board of Governor's meeting. It seems I have to record the minutes."

"Oh, that's sounds simply boring."

"It might be fun. The headmaster said that the new Lord Gryffindor might show up and blow the starch out of some of those stuffed shirts."

Ginny and Hermione laughed but Harry had a sudden suspicion that Mrs. Gowdie might know more about what was really going on than she let on. He shook his head to clear it and gave the gargoyle statue the password. This might turn out to be an interesting session with Dumbledore and McGonagall before the Governor's met.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36 – All ABoard

The teacher's tables in the Great Hall had been transformed into a round table to hold the dozen Governors, Headmaster Dumbledore and a few others. There were also a half dozen chairs that were set up in a row about ten feet away where they could hear everything that was discussed at the meeting.

Lord Gryffindor decided not to make the grand entrance that everyone expected. He showed up early and was calmly sitting juggling five balls and keeping an eye on the clock. One of the great doors opened briefly and he saw that two ladies had entered the room talking quietly. Harry banished the balls and stood up. He crossed across the room to greet the first arrivals.

"Welcome Madame Longbottom, it's nice to see you again. I hope the summer has been well for you and your grandson Neville."

"You know about Neville Lord Gryffindor?"

"Please Madame; my friends can call me Robb. And I've heard about Neville; rough start for the lad but he seems to have lots of potential for becoming a great wizard."

"Are you sure we're talking about the same Neville?"

Robb Loxley laughed. "He just needs a little more encouragement and maybe a wand of his own. I talked to Harry Potter about his friends once. Neville is a good friend of his and they have studied together a number of times. Neville seems to excel in Herbology also."

The other lady sniffed at the mention of Harry's name and Robb turned his attention to her.

"My apologies Lord Robb. May I present my companion today – Narcissa Malfoy."

Lord Gryffindor bowed in deference to the woman that carried and birthed Draco Malfoy. Her blond hair, blue eyes and haughty attitude were almost a match to her husband who was currently residing in Azkaban prison.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Malfoy. If I remember right we have a mutual relative currently being a forced guest of the government."

"You're a relative of my husband?" Narcissa Malfoy asked with some surprise.

"Not exactly. Your husband and I seemed to agree to disagree right off the bat. I was talking about Sirius Black. I'm a very distant relation."

"Sirius Black! You can't mean that criminal." It was a close call as to who was more upset - Madame Longbottom or Narcissa Malfoy. It seems neither one was very agreeable to having that name brought up in conversation.

"My apologies dear ladies. I won't mention that name again. Are you here for the Governor's meeting Mrs. Malfoy?"

"I was asked by a few of the other governors' to serve out my husband's term of office. If no one objects, of course."

"No objections from me. I think being a parent should be a requirement for someone that sits on this Board."

"You've heard about my son Draco, Lord Gryffindor?"

"I have heard that the younger Mr. Malfoy has made quite a name for himself."

'_**Most of them are the four-letter and vile kind. The stupid git.'**_

'_**Ginny – so not the time for that.'**_

'_**Sorry Robb.'**_

"You must excuse me ladies. I should go over and greet some of the other arrivals." Robb Loxley turned away from the ladies to meet Amos Diggory and Jonas Zellar. Through the next fifteen minutes, the remaining members of the Board of Governors drifted into the hall. Robb Loxley made a point of talking to all of them with the exception of Mr. Nott and Mr. Flint. Those two were long-time allies and friends of Lucius Malfoy but Lord Gryffindor was heartened by the fact that Mrs. Malfoy chose not to sit next to either of them.

The last to arrive, strangely, were the ones that had to travel the least amount of distance. Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall. The reason for their delay was following behind them; not only was Mrs. Gowdie talking to the two professors but two slightly wide eyed students were staring at the table with a little apprehension.

'_**Your invitations got there in time Hermione.'**_

Augusta Longbottom leaned over from her seat next to Robb Loxley. "I heard Dumbledore got a secretary and I expected her but isn't that…?"

"Yes Percy Weasley from Gryffindor and Celina Fenwick from Hufflepuff. They are going to be Head Boy and Head Girl this year. They were invited to come and observe this meeting. Something about learning to deal with grownups in their future careers. I hope that they will be allowed to participate and ask and answer questions in other Board meetings."

"That's a good idea Robb. Who better to know what the students are experiencing than the best and the brightest of them?"

Dumbledore came to the table but remained standing while Mrs. Gowdie took a seat immediately to his left. Professor McGonagall took a seat with the two seventh years just off the table.

Dumbledore introduced Wilhelmina Gowdie as his new secretary and hadn't quite got around to explaining the two students presence when Thaddeus Nott interrupted him. "Why is she writing things down?"

A few people had noted that Mrs. Gowdie had immediately pulled out a dicta-quill and some parchment when she sat down but only one or two of the governors seemed to object to what she was doing. Dumbledore smiled quietly and sat, letting Wilhelmina answer the question. "According to the charter establishing this board, minutes are to be kept and made available to the general public. I tried looking up past minutes but they seemed to have either disappeared or not been taken since the first Wizarding War. So to answer your question Mr. Nott, I'm taking notes of this meeting so that they can be published in the Daily Prophet and the Quibbler in a few days."

"Published?" came out as a surprised squeak from the man sitting next to Nott. Mr. Flint looked aghast that someone would have a record of anything he said or proposed.

"It's not really something anyone should object to Mr. Flint." Eyes turned to look at Lord Gryffindor who was staring hard at the Slytherin father. "It is a requirement. Are you planning on proposing something that you don't want the parents of students attending Hogwarts to know about?"

"No Lord Gryffindor." Flint had experienced some of Robb Loxley's displeasure at the last Board meeting and didn't want to go directly against the still mostly unknown person.

Lord Gryffindor stood casually and looked around the table. "It's far from my usual place to follow or direct protocol but there is an immediate matter that needs to be addressed before we can progress any further. The previous chairman, Mr. Malfoy, is absent and unavailable to fulfill his duties. I think we need to nominate and elect a new Chairman or Chairwoman to be in charge of this group."

Dumbledore rose from his seat. "An excellent suggestion Lord Gryffindor. Are there any nominations for this position?"

"Thaddeus Nott" was quickly put forward by Septimus Fletcher.

"I nominate Lord Gryffindor."

Robb turned and smiled at the person who spoke. "Thank you for that vote of confidence Mr. Diggory but I'm afraid I would be accused of favoritism and using my title to run roughshod over the board. I must decline although I would like to nominate Madame Longbottom. She has had experience with both members of this board and dealing with the school."

Madame Longbottom stared at her neighbor for a bit but then nodded her head. "Anyone else?" asked Dumbledore. When there was no reply, Dumbledore just went around the table asking for a verbal vote. It seemed apparent the vote would be close; the glares from Nott and Flint seemed to convince a few of the meeker governors to vote for Nott. Nott was smiling when the roll call got to Mrs. Malfoy. It was obvious he was counting on her vote to sway some of the others.

Mrs. Malfoy looked at her neighbor Augusta Longbottom and then to Dumbledore. Her gaze flickered briefly to Robb Loxley and then she spoke up. "Abstain."

"WHAT? You poor excuse for a wh…" Whatever else Thaddeus Nott was going to say to Narcissa Malfoy was cut off as a silencing charm was applied to his voice.

"_If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all_." The voice hung in the air for a second before Mr. Nott found his voice again. He sat quickly down and looked around for both the voice and the wand.

'_**Vika?'**_

'_**Yes Harriekins?'**_

'_**Thank you but I could have handled him.'**_

'_**He's a bully like his son.'**_

'_**Don't' call me Harriekins. Please?'**_

The mental laughter faded from Harry's mind and he turned to watch what Neville's grandmother said. "I cannot in good conscience vote for myself so I abstain."

Nott chuckled but then Augusta Longbottom stood up holding a piece of paper. "I do however hold the proxy for Lord Harry Potter who is automatically granted a seat on this Board as the head of an Ancient and Noble Family. Lord Potter does not think he has enough experience to fulfill his obligations to the Board of Governor's at this time but has graciously asked me to represent him. Lord Harry Potter votes for Augusta Longbottom."

Thaddeus Nott could not have looked more shocked if a Veela appeared naked in the room and started chewing on his wrist. What was said next however, mentally took him out of any conversation for the next five minutes.

"As the heir and representative of the Founders, Lord Gryffindor votes for Madame Longbottom. I also hold a proxy for this meeting. _Lord Slytherin_ casts his vote for Augusta Longbottom."

Septimus Flint fell over backward in his chair as a silver gavel appeared on the table in front of Madame Longbottom. She picked it up and seemed to judge its weight and balance. It was quickly rapped on the table once. "Let the record reflect that Augusta Longbottom has been duly elected as Chairwoman for the Hogwarts Board of Governors. I think a small break is called for at this time."

'_**Good Work Lord Gryffindor.'**_

'_**Part of it was Mrs. Malfoy's response. I think I need to go thank her.'**_

Robb Loxley stood up and went to the table that held a number of juices and water. He stopped to bow to a slightly amused Professor McGonagall and congratulated the two Head students on their accomplishment. Percy Weasley nodded solemnly but Celina Fenwick blushed slightly and lowered her head. "Thank you Lord Gryffindor" came a somewhat shy response.

Harry turned away from the threesome before his wives made some smart-aleck remarks about his charming other young ladies. He broke into a conversation and congratulated Madame Longbottom and then tried to get between Mrs. Malfoy and the furiously approaching Thaddeus Nott. He apologized but gently led Mrs. Malfoy away from the refreshment table.

"Correct me if I am wrong but I do not think you would like to talk to Mr. Nott or Mr. Flint at this time."

"You have the truth of it, Lord Gryffindor. I imagine they are quite upset at my apparent lack of support for their position."

"I was quite surprised myself if I have to be honest about it."

"You and the others will find out that while I support most of my husband's stands and beliefs, I am going to speak my own mind in his absence. I will pick and choose my battles for the rights of the old families."

"I appreciate your candor Mrs. Malfoy but I fear that we may be on opposite sides more often than not."

"As long as we understand that we can remain civil then. I have a responsibility to my son and my house. I will not jeopardize that and end up like my incautious husband."

The sound of the gavel rang once more, calling everyone back to the table. Harry nodded his head to Mrs. Malfoy. "Thank you for this conversation. It has been very informative. I hope we may talk peacefully again some other time outside of our duties here."

"There is a possibility of that I suppose."

Robb Loxley followed Mrs. Malfoy back to the table and tried answering all the questions that Ginny and Hermione were sending to him.

Xxxx xxxx

Madame Longbottom stood and leaned on her gavel. "The first matter of the old business was the hiring of an executive secretary for Headmaster Dumbledore. That has been resolved. Mrs. Gowdie, welcome to the school. I hope the duties and pay are to your liking."

"Thank you Madame Longbottom. I am finding it a very… entertaining position so far."

"Our second order of business at the last meeting was tabled due to the evolving difficulties amongst the students. I have been assured by the headmaster that that situation has been resolved. So we are back to the discussion stage of the change of tuition for students. Mr. Flint, could you give Lord Gryffindor and Mrs. Malfoy a brief summary of the proposed change since it was your idea?"

Mr. Flint was more used to working in the background and felt a little nervous under the gaze of others; especially the one of one Robb Loxley. "There has been a decline in the number of incoming students over the last ten years and revenues need to be increased to meet the cost of salaries and running the school. The opinion is that another 8% rise in the tuition of muggle-born and mixed-blood students would be sufficient to meet the additional expenses."

"Thank you Septimus. Are there any questions about the proposal?"

"I may have a few Mr. Flint." Mr. Flint visibly blanched as he prepared to answer the Founder's heir.

"Headmaster Dumbledore was good enough to let me read your proposed budget this morning. Could you explain to me how you are going to raise revenues by DROPPING the tuition of the so called pureblood students by 3 percent?"

Mrs. Malfoy spoke up then. "The pureblood families have a long history of supporting the school and there was a longevity amendment voted on by this board many years ago that decreases their tuition. Additionally the pureblood students outnumber the other students so our increased numbers match the tuition of the other students. "

"Is that basically the reasoning that went into your proposal Mr. Flint?"

The longtime member of the board nodded nervously. If Lucius Malfoy had been here this would have been another rubberstamped change. But that might not happen today.

"How long has your family been magical Mr. Flint?"

"About five hundred years I guess?"

"So five hundred and one years ago, your many great-grandparents were muggles?"

Septimus face went red. "How dare you insult my family like that?"

"Perhaps you take it as an insult, but it is no less a fact or the truth. All of the board members ancestors were born from regular non-magical folk at one time."

"Your point Lord Gryffindor?"

"Ah, Mr. Nott, so glad you could rejoin us; the point being that it's basically unwise to treat some people differently due to the vagaries of time that no one has any say over. The first and second generation witches and wizards should be treated as equals and not punished by paying 15% more than the ones that have been here for a few generations and should know the cost of a proper education."

"Mudbloods deserve to pay more" erupted from Mr. Nott.

'_**Uh-oh!'**_

There was a surprised gasp from Amos Diggory. Strands of rope came out from around a chair and tied up one Thaddeus Nott. A handkerchief appeared and was magically stuffed into his open mouth. Mr. Nott and his chair were floated to the nearest corner despite Nott's frantic contortions to reach his wand.

Everyone turned a quick eye to Lord Gryffindor but he held up his hands in denial. "I did not do that. Mr. Nott seems not to have talked to his son over the summer. That term has been proscribed in school since last spring. The magic in the castle automatically punishes the guilty party. I believe Mr. Nott is in what the muggles call a timeout."

Madame Longbottom struggled not to smile. "Headmaster, would you mind releasing Mr. Nott?"

"Of course Madame Chairman." Dumbledore pulled his wand and waved it towards Mr. Nott. The ropes and gag disappeared immediately but Nott had to drag his chair back to the table. He glared at Robb Loxley but he had turned to address Mrs. Malfoy.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Malfoy but your second argument is also a little out of touch too. There may have been a time when the older family's children vastly outnumbered the newly magicked but that is not so today. It has been a trend since the first magical war ten years ago that there are fewer 'pureblood' children attending Hogwarts every year. And there have been a greater percentage of children coming from families you seem to disapprove of. In five years' time the percentage may change totally and the old families will be in a minority. What do you think the backlash of the inequality of tuition will be then?"

"The Minister of Magic supports this policy."

"Then the Minister of Magic may be remembered as the one that caused Hogwarts to close."

Various members of the Governors Board erupted at the calm way Robb Loxley made that statement. Headmaster Dumbledore turned to Professor McGonagall and nodded his head at her and the two students. What Lord Gryffindor had said was true; a little brutal but the truth. Dumbledore wondered where and when he had made those observations.

Madame Longbottom resulted to banging her gavel to restore order at the table. "Quiet – quiet! We are having a civilized discussion about the future of the school here. Lord Gryffindor?"

"I meant no disrespect to anyone at this table but the economics of the tuition problem are real. That and the social problems that it might eventually cause. There may a lot of families that would choose cheaper and better education at other schools that might be farther away. Especially in light of the discrimination that still appears here from time to time."

Dumbledore's voice rose a little to address everyone. "What he says is the truth. It is hard to keep a dwindling population of students in attendance when there are inequalities."

"I suppose you have the answer Loxley."

"A-A-Achoo! Excuse me. It's still Lord Gryffindor to you Mr. Nott. You will not like how I correct the next transgression. But to answer your query, I have a friend who is excellent at figures (_'Thank you Remus'_) and he suggested a solution. A decrease of 5% for the first and second generation magical students from the current tuition would be an enticement for future enrollments from those families. An increase of 9% tuition to the so–called pureblood families still gives them a financial break that they think they deserve."

"That might create a financial hardship for some families" Mr. Zellar stated.

"From the money they have been saving by not paying all of the tuition that others have?"

"That does make sense Jonas the way Robb states it. This is a proposal for next year anyway. I would like to suggest we run it by Ministry budget office for an analysis."

"I second that." Narcissa Malfoy spoke up before Robb Loxley could. He bowed his head toward her and received a mysterious smile in return.

"Anyone against this recommendation?"

Nott and Flint made token objections but they were outvoted by everyone.

'_Good – one thing down' _Harry thought.

'_**Good job Lord Stupendous.'**_

'_**I'm a little tired down here and I'm not sure why.'**_

'_**You want us to come down there under the invisibility cloak?'**_

'_**Not yet but I may flash out of here if I can't keep the illusion of Lord Gryffindor up.'**_

'_**Love you Harry. Take it easy.'**_

"Does anyone have any new business beside me?" Robb looked around the table and reluctantly raised his hand. "I can wait until you are finished Madame Chairwoman."

"Thank you Robb. For the first time in four or five generations Hogwarts will have a family occupying married quarters. I have been told the Potters will be living in new quarters quite close to the Gryffindor dorms. I have personally given my congratulations to Lord Potter but I was wondering if the Board would like to make some official statement to the trio?"

Lord Gryffindor, Robb Loxley and Harry Potter all shook their combined head; this was a nice idea from Neville's grandmother but they really didn't need any official endorsements.

Professor McGonagall spoke up from where she was sitting. "If I may? Lord and Ladies Potter would like to get through the rest of their school years with as little difficulty and scrutiny as possible. They would probably like the gesture but would rather the Board concentrate of the general welfare of all the students."

"Very well. Would you pass on to the Potter's our general congratulations and best wishes in their academic endeavors then? Thank you Minerva."

Madame Longbottom turned back to address the second newest member at the table. "You had something else to say Robb."

"A few things actually. The first is just a continuation of our previous discussion on tuition and students. I can just about guarantee another thirty students coming to Hogwarts starting next year but it would take the cooperation of Minister Fudge."

"I'm intrigued by that statement, Lord Gryffindor. Where would you find more students?"

Both Percy Weasley and Celina Fenwick sat up straight and stared at the Founders heir. Robb chuckled as he read their expression. _'They're wondering what sleeve I'm going to pull thirty additional bodies out of.'_

Robb squared his shoulders and stretched a little bit. "There are about 85 Ambassadors from foreign countries stationed down in London. I imagine about two-thirds of that number are here with their families so there might be potentially 45 students of school age that might attend Hogwarts. Being conservative that would mean about two dozen or so students. "

"Why would they want to come here?" Amos Diggory asked.

"Why wouldn't they? The best magical school in Great Britain? Even with our tuition being the way it is, it has to be cheaper than employing all those tutors the ambassadors are now paying for."

"We don't need foreigners here. They probably can't speak English anyway."

"That's not necessarily true. I think it's a requirement for all members of the ambassador's family to speak the language of the host country. There is a spell or charm that either translates languages or makes English understandable, isn't there Headmaster?"

"Yes there is, although it has been long out of favor with the Ministry."

"They will try to usurp our way of life" came from Septimus Flint, much to his surprise. He clapped his hands over his mouth and flinched. He was expecting some anger from Lord Gryffindor but not the laughter that came out.

"You are expecting some two dozen odd students from various corners of the world and that will be spread across the Four Houses, to overthrow the school and change it to what? A haven for kangaroos? A Flying Circus? A very large beer garden? What is your specific worry Mr. Flint? You either overestimate what a small minority of underage students can accomplish or you seriously underestimate Headmaster Dumbledore? Which is it?"

Septimus Flint slunk down in his chair and didn't dare open his mouth. Madame Longbottom, Professor McGonagall and Headmaster Dumbledore looked at him like he had kicked their favorite kneazle. It was not a good feeling.

"You make a convincing argument Robb. I suppose it will be up to me to approach Minister Fudge about changing his policy preventing the children of ambassadors from attending Hogwarts."

"I would like to go with you if I may. Minister Fudge might like to know how much positive press and favor he could get from the foreign ministries for an idea like this."

Madame Longbottom smiled as she remembered how fond Minister Fudge was of appearing in the paper. "You had some other business."

Robb Loxley looked around and smiled a little evilly. "Could anyone here tell me who has been cashing Professor Binns checks for the last twenty years?"

A shocked silence met his question.

Even Dumbledore looked amazed as he contemplated the financial needs of the History of Magic teacher. There were none.

"Are you accusing someone at this table of stealing money, Lord Gryffindor?"

"NO, although it might have been done if anyone had wanted to run the risk of getting the goblins at Gringotts involved. As everyone knows, there is no way a ghost can hold an account at Gringotts; the goblins pass on accounts on to the next of kin after extracting a transaction fee. Professor Binns has no next of kin as far as anyone can tell."

"So where has the money gone to then?"

"It was returned to where it came from; the Hogwarts salary account. The goblins are probably wondering why no one has noticed the automatic notifications that were sent out. I do not wish to accuse the prior Chairman of disregarding the notices but with all Mr. Malfoy's business interests it may have just been overlooked. Anyway there are or should be a substantial number of galleons in that account. You don't know who has had access to that account would you Mr. Flint?"

Mr. Flint closed his eyes wearily. "No one Lord Gryffindor. It is a disbursement account and was set up by the goblins when the school was originally founded."

'_**Despite some efforts by certain Death Eaters to embezzle it.'**_

'_**You're probably right Hermione.'**_

"If it would rectify the situation I'll accompany Headmaster Dumbledore to Gringotts and talk to the goblins about the proper placement of that money. Unless…"

Jonas Zellar followed up that pause quite nicely. "Unless what Robb?"

"Unless Professor Binns could be persuaded to retire and work on getting his memoirs and his Definitive History of the Goblin Wars published. That might get him to give over his class that he has been teaching for probably too long. The new History of Magic teacher could draw from that account starting next year."

Madame Longbottom turned to address Dumbledore. "You've known Professor Binns longer than anyone here Headmaster. Has anybody ever asked him if and what he wants to do instead of teaching?"

"Not that I'm aware of but he does have that certain fascination with one period of history."

A rarely heard voice at the table spoke out. "Miss Fenwick?"

Surprised, the Head Girl stammered a bit in replying. "Y.. Yes, Mrs. Greylock?"

"Could you give the board your honest opinion of the effectiveness and relevance of Professor Binns classes? Don't be afraid; no one here will assign any detentions for your evaluation."

Celina Fenwick stood as if in class with an assignment. "Professor Binns classes are… boring, tedious and un-engaging. Most students work on other assignments while taking notes and it's a usual condition that some of the students fall asleep at their desks." Celina sat down hurriedly but Professor McGonagall patted her hand reassuringly.

"Exactly the experience I went through with him when I was attending Hogwarts. I'm sorry headmaster but you are doing a disservice to the school and the students if Professor Binns is allowed to continue."

"Sadly you are right Galena. I have overlooked Cuthbert's shortcomings for too long. Unfortunately, there is not adequate time to find a replacement for this coming year."

"Madame Chairwoman, Headmaster…"

"You just cannot keep quiet, can you Loxley?"

Thaddeus Nott's lack of patience undid him once again. Lord Gryffindor frowned and a wand suddenly appeared in his hand. Mr. Nott's chair disappeared suddenly and he sat suddenly on the floor. When he stood up again, there was a general titter that ran around the table and everyone avoided his gaze. Mr. Flint sadly pulled his own wand out and conjured a mirror for his friend.

Thaddeus Nott's head was covered in soft golden ringlets and a serious amount of blue makeup had been applied to his eyes and his mouth was shiny with lipstick. He was wearing a soft pink sweater that had the words "Sweet Thing" running in black letter across his chest. Nott swore once and tried to cast a 'Finite' on his appearance. To no avail.

Septimus pulled on his arm and reluctantly pointed across the table. Mr. Nott looked down at his dark pink fingernails and swore silently to himself. "I apologize for interrupting you once again Lord Gryffindor. I promise to try to behave in a more courteous manner from here on."

"Thank you Mr. Nott." A wave of his hand restored Nott's previous appearance in an eyeblink. "I have one more bit of warning for you Thaddeus."

"Yes?"

"My mother was muggle-born so that makes me a second generation wizard. Do you think I deserve any less respect than say.. Neville Longbottom, the Chairwoman's grandson or Dumbledore?"

"No Lord Gryffindor."

"There's been a deliberate and long standing prejudice slanted in favor of "purebloods" from the Ministry and unfortunately this Board. I think** all** the young witches and wizards at Hogwarts should be treated equally as magical beings. As too replacing Professor Binns, I'm sure some proper substitutes could be found to teach his class parrt time - Ravena Ravenclaw for instance, the other founders portraits or people from the Ministry."

"Wow!" came from an astonished Percival Weasley

"Augusta, Jonas, everyone else - I'm sorry for my little temper tantrum. I have a number of ideas and suggestions that the Board or Headmaster Dumbledore might act on but I have grown a little weary of defending myself."

"My apologies Robb for the attitude of some of the members here. It has been a while since new ideas have been brought forward."

Robb Loxley waved his hand once again and a bunch of papers appeared in front of every member. "I've spent a lot of time this summer talking to some of the students and past graduates and getting some of their ideas. Those and some of my own are listed on those sheets for your consideration. There obviously isn't time to discuss all I've thought of this afternoon so I would like to request an adjournment to let everyone read and think about what I've presented. Maybe about a month to let everyone sift through the changes and ramifications?"

"That sounds about right Robb. I am going to adjourn this meeting and we will reconvene in a month's time at Longbottom Manor."

Lord Gryffindor leaned wearily against the table. "If anyone wants to contact me, send the requests to the headmaster and he will forward them to me."

Madame Longbottom banged her gavel for adjournment and the governors stood and stretched. A few began talking to each other as they read the ideas that Robb Loxley had written down.

'_**Vika, get me out of here.'**_

Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall were moving to talk to Lord Gryffindor when he abruptly disappeared from the middle of the room.

"Albus, I didn't think it was possible for anyone to apparate though the wards around Hogwarts?"

It was Professor McGonagall that replied to her friend. "I think that you will find Augusta, that Robb Loxley, doesn't pay much attention to the usual rules from time to time."

Xxxx xxxx

Vika appeared in the Potter's new living room. She was clutching Harry who had collapsed the split second that he had vanished from the board meeting. Calling out to Hermione and Ginny, Vika laid Harry down on the nearest couch and took his trainers off before raising his feet so he was stretched out.

Ginny and Hermione came running out from the main bedroom where they had been talking. They looked at Vika who was just pointing at the figure before her. Both girls cried out in alarm as they saw Harry's appearance.

Harry had reverted to his real age and appearance but his face was devoid of color and he was sweating profusely. Hermione ran to get a cool washcloth while Ginny tried doing some diagnostic spells on her husband. Hermione reappeared with a cloth but stopped when Ginny told her to heat it up. Despite the sweat that was appearing on his face and across his body, Harry was cold to the touch.

"I don't understand these readings. I don't know what's wrong with him Hermione." Hermione suggested the healing spell they all knew but Ginny didn't want to risk since she didn't know what was making Harry sick.

A racking cough from the unconscious boy on the couch caused a bit more panic for the two Mrs. Potters. Ginny turned a tear-streaked face from her husband. "Vika, go fetch Madame Pomfrey. Tell her Harry's very sick but we don't know why."

Vika vanished immediately.

Xxxx xxxx

"And then Harry, Ginny and Hermione blasted a large Acromantula to pieces using a Confringo spell."

"To pieces?"

"Ginny said that they were all splattered with blood and bits and there wasn't too many pieces of the monster left intact."

"I wish I would have been there Remus. That's quite a spell if Harry could cut through an exoskeleton like that."

"Actually, all three of them sent the same spell though the wall crawler."

"I guess we'll have to be careful when I get out of here about how we prank those three."

Remus had been visiting with Sirius at Azkaban and entertaining him with the Potters escapades in Egypt. The cell Sirius was in looked less severe than the first time he was here. The auror guards had brought him some clean and warm bedding. Since Sirius had been cleared of any involvement in the murder of James and Lily Potter, the aurors were taking it a little easier on the convict. Regular food and writing materials brought about a big change in the former Auror.

"Where is this 'we' you're talking about? I'll have you know I'm staying out of any prank war with your godson. I'm trying to be respectable here."

"Respectable? You? Don't try to fool me."

"I'll have you know Padfoot that I've held a good paying job for the last year and a half and I have a different one starting next week. A position of importance."

"And you won't let me know what it is?"

"Nope. I'll let Harry tell you when he sees you next."

"So Harry knows what you're going to be doing?"

"Not in the slightest but I hope he'll be pleased when he finds out."

"A mystery then. That will give me something to think about until the next time you come out."

A knock came on the cell door and a gruff voice spoke. "Five minutes."

"The time sure does go fast while you're here Moony. But I'm glad you could make it out here. Too bad Dora was working today."

"Is there anything else I can fetch you for the next time? Some wine, some cigars?"

"Some brunettes would be great but bringing Harry would be the only thing I really want."

"He said he would be sure to come here as soon as he could. Madame Bones likes him a lot. Even if he didn't get to hook up with her niece."

Sirius Black didn't try to hold back the laugh that erupted. He had been too long in despair to even think he could possibly laugh again. But his future was looking up; he wasn't being visited by the Dementors every night and he had a chance to get to live with his godson eventually.

The guard opened up the cell door and told Remus that it was time to leave. He gave Sirius a quick hug and then walked out the door. Sirius watched him as long as he could before he went back and sat on his cot. There was enough time to take a small kip before supper but maybe he should go through the newspapers Remus had brought. There were a few stories that went along with the pictures of the Potters and Weasley's in Egypt.

Sirius Black was very intent on getting to know everything about his godson, Harry Potter, his wives and all his friends. He reached for the newspapers.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37 – A Conclusion of Sorts

They thought he had finally flipped. It happened occasionally after a prisoner had been paroled from the 'tender care' of the Dementors. They would be perfectly fine for an hour, a day, a week; they would act perfectly normal. But whatever mental, emotional or personal protections had helped the person resist the exposure to the Dementors sometimes disappeared totally – leaving the prisoner floundering.

There was no other explanation therefore to what happened to Prisoner #4470013 – Sirius Black. He had finally gone insane.

His loud shrill voice could be heard over all the other suffering voices at Azkaban Prison. The aurors assigned to the cell block holding Sirius Black finally had to send a request back to the Ministry allowing them to stun the apparently deranged prisoner. No one was on duty that night to approve the request; the screaming continued on for hours.

Interspersed with all the sheer screams of horror, dismay, anger and revenge, the Auror guards would later report that they could make out some words or phrases from the prisoner that foretold a dire future.

"Harry blessed Potter."

"He'll be killed."

"Hogwarts won't protect him from me."

"Damn his soul!"

"There's no safe place for Harry Potter."

"He's not going to be alive much longer."

"I'm going to kill Him."

"Must get Harry…."

"I'll kill him - he won't escape me."

The ranting and raving went on for hours until Black's voice grew fainter and hoarser from the strain of yelling and carrying on for so long. There finally came a moment of silence from the cell and the Auror guards thought that he had finally exhausted himself and gone to sleep.

Xxxx xxxx

Had Harry been conscious, he would have been a little uncomfortable at being the center of so much attention. Madame Pomfrey had not been able to diagnose what was wrong with him in their new apartment so she had brought him back to the infirmary to run further tests. The gossip circuit at Hogwarts being what it was, Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall were only moments behind the group in getting Harry settled into a bed.

Madame Pomfrey wouldn't allow anyone close to Harry on the slim chance that he was infectious in some manner. Vika was holding onto to Ginny and Hermione and trying to comfort them while the mediwitch went to her office to research Harry's condition.

Still sweating profusely, Harry was still cold to the touch and was tossing fitfully in unconsciousness. There was a heavy blanket draped over him to both help keep him warm and restrict his movements. The heavy wheezing cough that racked his frame occasionally brought shudders to the female members in the room.

"Why didn't he ever tell anyone he wasn't feeling good?" Hermione fretted.

"It's all my fault; I should have paid more attention when he was sneezing and saying he was feeling tired." Ginny was especially upset and mad that her husband had fallen so ill while she was supposed to be training as a healer.

Dumbledore came over to talk to the concerned wives after overhearing Ginny's comment. "I think it is sadly a habit left over from Mr. Potter's time with his relatives. Complaining there led to further problems so Harry kept his own counsel on matters of his own welfare."

Madame Pomfrey came back from her office with a thick book tucked under her arm. She consulted it briefly and made a very complicated pass with her wand. The runes that came out of Harry's body caused Madame Pomfrey to shake her head while she was writing them down.

"It seems to be a combination of two things. There is a very exotic poison flowing through Lord Harry's veins but there is also an infection that I have not seen before. They have linked up in a way to attack Harry's core magic itself. I think I shall have to go to St. Mungo's to bring a specialist in exotic diseases back here. He is no shape to go through the rigors of a transport at this time."

The girls crying covered up the sound of the infirmary door opening but the steady footsteps brought a number of heads around to look at the newest arrival.

"So what has Potter, sorry - Lord Potter, done to himself this time?" The disdain in Professor Snape's voice had been curtailed a great deal but he didn't look very worried as he stared down at the occupant of the bed. Ginny was held back from responding in anger at the Potions Professor by both Hermione and Vika.

Madame Pomfrey led Professor Snape a few steps away from Harry's bed as she showed him the results of her last diagnostic scan. Dumbledore and McGonagall joined into the conversation to hear what Snape thought about Harry's condition.

Vika excused herself from Ginny and Hermione and went and sat on Harry's bed. Madame Pomfrey looked over and just told the two Mrs. Potter not to get any closer to their husband. It was Hermione that broke down crying this time and Ginny led her to a nearby bed and sat with her.

Vika began sponging off Harry's face and shoulders with a washcloth and a clean basin of water that she conjured to his bedside table. It seemed to help for a while in settling Harry down and she eased him up to a sitting position to pour a Rejuvenating potion down this throat. Harry was laid back down to a reclining position and Vika began absently running her hand through Harry's messy locks.

She stopped suddenly and then moved her hand back a few inches to just above Harry's ear. "Poppy, come quickly. I've found something."

The shout from Vika got everyone's attention and they all clustered around Harry's bed while Vika explained. "There's a small ridge there, just above his ear. There's something vile in it; I could just barely sense it."

Madame Pomfrey ran her fingers under Vika's and then looked up. "I thought Harry and you two healed all his scars?"

Hermione brushed away a few tears as Ginny answered the question. "We healed up most of them but Harry wanted to keep a few as a reminder of what he had gone through at the hands of the Dursleys. There's still two scars on his shoulder blades that even the bond magic couldn't heal up."

Madame Pomfrey asked Vika to turn Harry's head to the side and then she made another pass with her wand. A bit of black blood bubbled up and ran down across Harry's ear and a very tiny sliver of something shiny came out of Harry's head. Vika floated a pan over to where the sliver was held in midair and Madame Pomfrey dropped the sliver into it.

Harry had gasped once the foreign object was removed but he never regained consciousness. Hermione saw however that the sweat that Vika had sponged away had returned twicefold. Vika had been watching the extraction but turned and told everyone gathered around that Harry was now burning up with fever.

Hermione shook her head and gathered Ginny up into another hug. Meanwhile Madame Pomfrey, Dumbledore and Professor Snape were examining the needle-shaped object in the pan.

It was the headmaster that turned a sad face to the two Mrs. Potters. "We're pretty sure we know what this is but we need some confirmation from you two. Did Mr. Potter have any encounters with any dangerous beasts while you were in Egypt?"

Ginny drew a blank for a second but Hermione squeaked out the answer. "We ran into an Acromantula while exploring a tomb Bill Weasley was working in."

"And how exactly did a small piece of an Acromantula fang end up in Mr. Potter's head?" Professor Snape seemed confused at the unluckiness of the Gryffindor.

"An acromantula lept to attack my brother Ron and we three blasted it."

"To pieces?" asked an incredulous Professor McGonagall.

"We wanted to make sure we stopped it" defended Hermione.

"Foolish children" grumbled Professor Snape, "but at least we have a starting point now. If you'll excuse me I'll go and mix up a counteragent. Those fangs are very, very poisonous."

The Potion Master was halfway to the door when a voice called out to him. "Professor Snape?"

"Yes?"

Ginny voice only wavered a small amount. "Thank you for doing this."

"Don't thank me until we see if your husband proves too stubborn to respond to the treatment." With a small swirl of his cape, Professor Snape disappeared out through the doors of the infirmary.

Ginny turned and sat back down on the bed next to Harry's. Hermione came and sat next to her. "This will turn out okay, you'll see."

"Why does it always have to be him though?" Ginny wanted to go touch and hold Harry but she realized that Madame Pomfrey's warning about Harry was needed.

The two didn't know how long they sat there staring numbly at their husband before another presence came up behind them. Dumbledore laid what he hoped was a reassuring hand on each young lady's shoulder. "Harry has always been a fighter and a survivor. Professor Snape's potion may only solve half the problem here. Poppy has gone to St. Mungo's for a specialist. If I might make a suggestion?"

"Yes Headmaster?"

"Have either or both of you tried contacting your husband mentally? While his body may be nonresponsive, his mind might still be functioning and he may have some suggestions for the rest of us."

A small glimmer of hope crossed Hermione's face and she thanked Dumbledore for the suggestion. Hermione turned sideways on the bed and clasped hands with a nervous Ginny.

Xxxx xxxx

They appeared near the top of the Astronomy tower; but the steps up never seemed to steep and never so slick to the two ladies before. "Why are we here Hermione?"

"I don't know; this is where Harry's mind is. I hope." There was grey slime dripping off the walls and on some of the steps but the girls avoided as much as they could in trying to reach the platform at the top of the stairs.

The two ladies were disappointed when they reached the top at nary a sight or sound of Harry. Hermione and Ginny split up and started searching the area in hopes that Harry was just sleeping in one corner or the other.

It was a loud sneeze that finally led them to their husband's mental representation. They found the locker that held all the astrolabes, sextants and telescopes unlocked with a great deal of equipment scattered across the floor in front of it. Cautiously they opened a door and then threw it back when they found Harry collapsed on the lowest shelf.

Hands reached for Harry and he was carefully dragged out and laid out across both their laps. Harry seemed to revive a bit under their touch and he opened his sunken and dull eyes to them. "Sorry, what's happened to me this time?"

"Some unknown infection that linked up with Acromantula poison" Ginny said. She wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry about contacting his consciousness; he looked worse in here than he did in the real world.

"Bugger it! I knew we should have just banished it. But it might have turned into somebody else's problem then."

"Language Jamie."

Harry reached up a hand to caress Hermione's cheek. "Remind me to throw a knut into the swear jar at home then."

"Oh Harry, why are you up here?"

"I'm not sure; I found myself in the Great Hall suddenly after I left the Governor's board meeting. But the Great Hall was rotting and covered in that grey slime you probably saw. Everywhere I ran there was more of the stuff. I tried blasting it, I tried dispelling it - nothing worked. When I realized this really wasn't Hogwarts, I even tried the healing spells we knew. Nothing seemed to affect it."

"Madame Pomfrey told us she's never seen an infection like it."

"Just my luck; so what's the plan then?"

"The sliver of acromantula has been removed from your head and Snape is brewing up a potion to counteract that bit of sickness. But the poison's mixed up with the infection somehow and Madame Pomfrey left to get a specialist from St. Mungo's."

"So nothing definite."

"We're sorry Harry. Both of us."

"It's not your fault so don't go blaming yourselves. I know you two almost as well as you know me. I'm not sure what this slime is but maybe you ought to leave before it gets to you and back to your bodies. I definitely want some cuddle time after this is over."

"We're not leaving you alone Harry."

"I'm not alone anymore. You two are always in my heart and always on my mind."

"This is not a time for that song Harry; you're not up for it" Hermione rubbed her hand across Harry's chest in a gesture he was especially fond of.

"Pity that." Harry coughed again and almost shook himself off Hermione's and Ginny's laps. "Sorry."

Ginny squirmed around so she could place Harry's back laying against her front. It was one of his favorite places to relax and Ginny knew she could stay here and hold him until something definite was decided. "Dumbledore suggested you might think of another type of solution for us to look for."

Harry had a little shiver and Ginny tightened her grip on him. "If Madame Pomfrey's not seen anything like it then probably my intermittent luck has made this something that isn't something of our type of magic."

"Our type of magic? Of course, so an alternate medicine approach" Hermione said.

"Yes, I can't think of anything else. Call for Knop and Dobby and send Dobby to Gringotts for Wrotkill. Maybe between the house elf's magic and what the goblins know, maybe they can figure out what this is and stabilize or cure me."

Hermione leaned in to give Harry a small kiss to the cheek. "I'll leave and go tell Dumbledore and the others your idea but I'll be right back."

"No, you'll both leave." The three turned and looked to see Vika suddenly appear a few feet away from them.

"I'm not abandoning Harry!" Ginny was not going to let anybody come in and try to remove her from her self-appointed post. Not even Hogwarts herself.

"Ginny, I know you don't want to leave and I wouldn't ordinarily ask this of you but I've been down talking to the Founder's."

"What did they say Vika?"

"I told them about Harry's condition Hermione. Both Ravena and Helga feel that you need to save your strength for later. Harry's core magic is severely depleted and you may have to sustain him for a while if there is a solution found."

"I don't want to leave him alone."

"He won't be alone." Vika smiled at Harry's worried wives and the glow that came from her seemed to lift the gloom that permeated the Astronomy Tower. "I'll stay here with him."

"Harry, what do you think of this idea?"

"I don't like it for a number of reasons but it does make sense in the long run. Vika will stay here and pester me and keep that grey slime away. I hope I don't need you to keep me stable but you should rest up in case of problems."

Ginny hugged Harry tightly but then did shift him over to Vika's arms. "I promise we won't snog." The laugh that came from Harry at Vika's comment made the girls feel a little better about leaving their husband.

The girls stood up a little uneasily and Harry nodded to them. Vika looked up with a promise in her eyes that she would do everything she could. As Ginny and Hermione fled back to their bodies, they heard Vika ask Harry to tell her everything about his trips.

Xxxx xxxx

Hermione and Ginny were surprised to find themselves in the clutches of Professor McGonagall when they awoke. "I caught you before you tumbled off the cot together" McGonagall said.

"Thanks Professor" said Ginny.

"I think in light of the crisis and your positions I won't object to you using my given name. Outside of class of course."

"Well Minerva, your husband had a good hunch. Harry has an idea although it might be a little strange."

"We may have to try any resource at this point, no matter how unusual it might seem." Dumbledore had drawn closer to the group and had overheard the last comment.

A couple of whooshes from the floo announced the return of Madame Pomfrey and another older wizard. They both rushed over to Harry's bed to check on his condition. Dumbledore drew the three females a little further away to continue the talk.

Before Dumbledore could ask what Harry's idea was, Hermione raised her voice just a little bit. "Dobby!"

The little house elf appeared with a little pop and then began his usual greeting. "What can Dobby do for Harry…." Dobby face went slack and he turned to look at the bed Harry was laying on. It was Ginny that stopped the elf from rushing to Harry's side by grabbing him tightly.

"Dobby, Harry is very sick and our healers aren't quite sure what to do with him. I have an urgent mission for you – Harry's very life might depend on it."

Dobby stop struggling to get to Harry but his eyes were full of tears as he turned and faced the ladies. "What can poor lowly Dobby do for the great lord and wizard Harry Potter?"

Hermione knelt down so that she looked right into the eyes of the worried elf. "You need to return to Potter Manor and bring back Knop or anybody that knows about healing and illnesses. Wait - before you go! Send he or them back here and go to Gringotts. Ask to see Wrotkill and tell him Harry is sick and we request, that's request his help. Got that Dobby?"

Dobby nodded solemnly and just disappeared. When he left Hermione and Ginny both turned and gave the two adults Harry's guess about a cure. Dumbledore appeared to think seriously about but Minerva McGonagall shook her head slowly.

Madame Pomfrey left the other wizard at Harry's bedside and came over to join the group. "Healer Doohan is completely at a loss to what the infection is. He has a suggestion for a chance but it is very risky in itself."

Calling the other healer over, Madame Pomfrey introduced him to everyone and prompted him for his opinion. "I'm sorry to be meeting you all under these circumstances. I have a possible procedure that may help the lad but I'm not sure it will work."

"Ginny and I are Harry's wives Mr. Doohan. Tell us what you are thinking of doing."

Healer Doohan looked at the two strangely for a second but continued. "I've been told there's potion coming to counteract the Acromantula poison. If Lord Potter handles that well, I'd like to try putting him in stasis and draining his blood from him."

"WHAT? That will kill him." Ginny looked mad enough to attack the older healer but Madame Pomfrey laid a hand on her forearm.

"Lady Potter, Ginny – this is a way to flush the infection out of his body. We'll be giving Harry blood replenishing potions along the way to replace the blood we will take from him. It's decent chance."

"But not guaranteed?" ventured Hermione.

"I can't in good conscience say whether this will work or not" healer Doohan said. "But it's the only think I could think of that might do the job."

Professor McGonagall seemed to hesitate a long time before she asked the healer the next question. "How soon do you want to proceed with this risky venture?"

"As soon as possible would be best but no later than twelve hours. Lord Potter's resistant has been truly phenomenal but I just don't know…"

There were two pops and everyone turned to see two house elves appeared next to Harry's bedside. Ginny recognized Knop and an older female elf that was named Assom. Healer Doohan made a break to remove the house elves but quickly found Ginny's wand in his face. "Do NOT touch those elves. They are ours and will not harm the Head of their House. Is that understood Healer Doohan?"

The healer had faced some irate family members in his time as a healer but he never feared for his safety as much as he did under the fiery gaze of this young redhead. Hermione stepped forward and pushed Ginny's wand hand down.

"I apologize for my wife Healer Doohan. We are all strained with Harry's sickness. It is nearing midnight now. Please leave and make your preparations to return at eight in the morning."

The healer turned to Dumbledore for an appeal but found him agreeing with the young lady. "It would be best for you to go and make your preparations and return in the morning. We here shall monitor the patient until you return."

Healer Doohan looked around and nodded reluctantly. He gathered up his instruments and headed for the floo. He and Madame Pomfrey passed Professor Snape as they exited the room. He was carrying a vial very carefully but he stopped when he saw the two house elves. They stared at him with a measure of suspicion and anger but Hermione called the two to come stand by her.

Ginny went over to watch what Professor Snape was doing. He looked at her a little blankly and asked her to prop Harry up so he could administer the potion. They both were surprised that when Snape bent over to pour the potion in Harry's mouth, his eyes popped open.

"Harry" whispered Ginny.

Harry's face was still covered in sweat and his eyes appeared a little wild and glazed. "Hi precious" he said to his wife.

"I told you never to call me that. You need to drink this potion Harry."

Harry nodded and tried to straighten himself up a little more. Vika suddenly appeared at Ginny's side and helped her prompt him up. Snape began lowering the potion to Harry's lips when his wrist was suddenly caught up in a fierce grip.

Harry's fevered voice was almost a hiss as he spoke to the Potions Professor. "Things are never as they seem; the Dark Mark you still have has had many, many compulsions added to it. Your past is not what you think it was and that has tumbled your present and future. Your losses are not what you think they were."

Harry's voice slipped away and his eyes closed. Professor Snape turned to look at Ginny and Vika. "Tell only Lady Hermione about this but no others. We may talk of this later but it may have been just the fever giving him a false voice."

Ginny nodded but looked very confused. She and Vika watched as Snape carefully poured the potion down Harry's throat. He burped noisily and a bit of blue steam came out of his mouth. It was pretty horrible smelling but the Potions Professor snarkily said that it was supposed to be that way. "Or it could just be Potter's natural odor."

Letting Harry back down, the rest of the people clustered around the bed and watched Harry for a bit. Vika stopped Ginny from jumping away from holding Harry's hand when the reaction began. Harry convulsed once and his sweat turned a dark green. He sweated that way for a few minutes and then regular sweat began appearing.

Madame Pomfrey banished the linens and sheets that had covering Harry. She waved her wand and mumbled 'Levicorpus'; Harry floated off the bed and new linens were changed out under him. She drew everyone away from the bed and asked Hermione and Ginny to put new pajamas on their husband after donning cotton gloves. "He's a little safer to touch now."

The two girls banished the rest of his clothes and hurriedly dressed their still sweating husband. Hermione cancelled the floating spell and Harry sank back to the bed. Madame Pomfrey came back and made another diagnostic pass with her wand over Harry. She shook her head when she saw the results. "The infection has slowed down some but not stopped. We've gained some time."

There was a small sigh of relief from the people around the bed but a small chime seemed to startle everybody. Dobby and Wrotkill appeared suddenly in the middle of the infirmary and Dobby ran as best he could to collapse at Harry's side.

Dumbledore, Ginny and Hermione walked quickly to meet Wrotkill. He had appeared in his full robe and carrying an ornate staff. Ginny and Hermione curtseyed briefly to the goblin wizard and tried holding their voices as Dumbledore explained the situation.

"Let us go see Lord Potter' was all Wrotkill said as he approached the bed. Snape and McGonagall back away warily but Madame Pomfrey seemed reluctant to abandon her ward. A nod from Dumbledore made her step away so that Wrotkill could get closer to the bed. Hermione had to gently order Dobby away so that Wrotkill could look at Harry.

Wrotkill took a good look at Harry first before he laid a hand on his shoulder. He frowned and then raised his staff. Wrotkill whispered some words and a red beam of light from the staff passed from Harry's head down to his feet. Wrotkill lowered his wand and then thought for a long time. He finally noticed the two house elves and waved them over to talk to them.

Hermione and Ginny were worried at the lack of action by the goblin. They (and Harry) had been counting on the goblins' knowledge and magic to heal him.

It was a long two minutes before the discussion stopped and the goblin and two elves approached the waiting group.

"Your Harry Potter is the most fortunate and unfortunate human I have met in many centuries of existence. That his magic could fight off the effects of the Acromantula for so long is amazing. The poison has spread thought out his total body and I think I can remove that. The problem is that his resistance to other diseases was lowered so much that he was caught unprepared for something that he never should have caught."

"What was it?" Madame Pomfrey dared to ask.

It was the house elf Assom that stepped forward then. "It is formally called Cooregatumus but it is more commonly referred to as "younglings blight". Human wizards are supposed to be immune from House elf's sicknesses but…"

"Not one whose immunity has been totally broken down by a terrible poison." Ginny almost broke down crying after she made that statement. Vika pulled her into a hug and they both stared at the quiet form on the bed.

"Is there some medicine or magic you could give Harry, Assom?"

"Lord Harry has no natural defenses against this disease. What we might dare to try to save our master's life is a transmixture."

Dumbledore spoke up to clarify the term for everyone. "That is a blood bending?"

Wrotkill was the one to answer. "Yes but a transmixture between house elves and humans had never been done to my knowledge. The house elves themselves only use it in dire emergencies. There is a chance that the different blood will only compound the problem."

The goblin's opinion weighed heavily on everyone's mind. Either choice they had for Harry seemed slim. Almost non-existent. Hermione's mind suddenly turned a corner to a recent memory. She sprang to her feet and turned to address Knop.

"How complete are the binding oaths between the Head of House and the elves that are under his protection."

"Lady Hermione?"

"Do the pledges of sacrifice and non-harm exist in both directions?"

"Of course; the master pledges his protection and support and we pledge back our lives and magic. This just happened with …"

"Tride was recently bound to house Potter and Harry himself. By the magic involved in the right his blood will not bring any harm to his master during a transmixture."

Wrotkill was astonished that the human female had thought of a magical protection. Knop thought for a second and agreed with Lady Hermione's logic. "I will go and bring Tride back at once."

"Hold!"

"Lady Ginny?"

"Go tell Tride Harry's situation. If he willingly volunteers, then bring him back. Harry will never stand for even a house elf to be bullied or forced into a choice not of his choosing. Not even for his own life. Go quickly now."

Knop smiled his understanding and disappeared. Wrotkill came over to talk to everyone, especially the younger of Lord Harry's wives. "You are wise beyond your years Lady Ginny. A willing individual will cause the magic to work much better."

"I don't know about that but I do know what Harry would have said in this situation. He would not order anyone into danger."

It was only three minutes later when Knop and Tride reappeared. Tride walked up to Ginny and Hermione and bowed. "I have been told Lord Harry needs me. What must I do?"

Wrotkill and Assom spoke to Tride quietly and then the three headed for Harry's bedside. Wrotkill made a pass and the bed next to Harry's shrunk down to half size. Tride bowed his head to Harry and then lay down on the bed. Assom produced a knife but turned to explain what she was doing. "The transmixture requires skin to skin contact and blood-to-blood exchange."

"This won't harm Tride will it?" Ginny suddenly thought of the other possible problem.

"No, the binding vows will protect both."

"Thank you Knop; I'm sorry I didn't ask earlier."

"It is understandable. Tride would do this even if his life would be forfeit."

Assom spoke up again. "Six slices on each forearm and then they are bound together for one hour. That should be enough time for Tride's blood to reach all the infections."

"And while that is happening, I will try to remove the poison that has given the infection teeth."

"Thank you Master Wrotkill."

"I unfortunately can only allow the house elf to be near Harry during this procedure. The magics are quite complicated and concentrated on the healing."

Madame Pomfrey had brought some bandages and wrappings for Assom to use and she nodded her thanks. She made the cuts on Tride's arm first. All on the forearm and all straight across in separated rows. She then brought Harry's arm over to line the arms up and made matching cuts on his limb. Because of the difference in size in their arms, Harry's cuts were a lot closer together that Tride's.

Assom asked Madame Pomfrey to bind the two arms together while she held the open wounds in alignment. Madame Pomfrey did it quickly and everyone except Wrotkill sat back with one eye on Harry and the other eye on the clock.

Wrotkill spoke some words and Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall watched as a number of the runes on the magical staff lit up. Wrotkill made on pass along the length of Harry's body and then let it float in midair aligned with Harry's body. Wrotkill conjured a chair to sit in and perched close to Harry's bed.

The magical staff moved gently up in down over Harry's body for the next hour. Wrotkill stepped up and checked on it frequently while time seemed to pass very slowly for the other occupants of the room. Even Professor Snape seemed drawn into the quiet battle that was being waged in Harry's body.

A sudden clap of the hands by Assom let everyone know that the hour of the transmixture was done. Madame Pomfrey peered anxiously over the house elf's shoulder as she unwrapped Tride and Harry's arms. "There is no sign of contamination here. That means the bloods did not fight each other."

Wrotkill stood over Harry's body and reached for the staff one more time. He made a final pass from his head to his feet and declared his part of the cleansing over.

"There is still some poison in his system and it may stay there the rest of his life. The next few hours will tell the story of whether Harry recovers."

Ginny and Hermione came over and knelt before the goblin sorcerer much to the surprise of Severus Snape. "We thank you for the effort Master Wrotkill. Any payment we can make to compensate you for this deed will be gladly met, whatever the final outcome of Harry's health.'

Dumbledore saw the rare smile from the goblin as he reached down to help Hermione and Ginny to their feet. "Lord Potter has proved himself to be a true friend to the Goblin Nation. A friendly conversation or two over a mug of Grok would be payment enough from you three. I shall stay here to see him wake up."

Both Tride and Harry were sleeping although Tride was resting more comfortable. Harry was still having bouts of sweating but they were coming further and further apart. Ginny and Hermione both brought chairs to Harry's bedside and sat holding his hands. Everyone relaxed and tried to get comfortable as they waited for the young wizard with the messy hair to awaken

Xxxx xxxx

Many many miles away a dark splotch rose from the bed of the North Sea. It was deathly quiet around Azkaban Prison as the Aurors and the supernatural Dementors patrolled the grounds and air around the island. No birds, fish or other creature dared to come close to the isolated island where prisoners were held captive by chains, cells and soul-stealing monsters.

It was not until early in the morning that the Aurors discovered that the impossible had happened – Sirius Black's cell was empty! A single newspaper was found on the cell desk with the words Murder scrawled in blood beside a picture of a young man.

A powerful insane murderer had escaped Azkaban Prison and was apparently out hunting for his next victim – Harry Potter.

_Fini_

Xxxxx xxxx

So ends the story of Honestly Harry and the Unplottable Discoveries.

Don't be too worried about Harry; there will be yet another sequel if you readers can put up with my rambling on for yet another story.

"Honestly Harry – The Time of the Vanished Villains" – good title or not?

Just to let you know how all this started out, I found my first working outline of the story layout. This is what I started with:

_Unplottable Discoveries_

- Griffin's Lair

- in close contact, wards, marriage confirmation, real griffins(?)

- library puzzle, leftover memories(TOM?),future plans

- Potter Manor (Mansion?)

- house elves (1 snobby one)

- facing the families; (fake bedrooms for Ginny and Hermione)

- party for friends and families – telling about marriage

- to Gringotts for multiple titles – Slytherin vault, the Unplottables

- return to Hogwarts

- Basilisk rendering, Snape

- the other secret (s?) in the chamber?

- Going to Azkaban – Lord Gryffindor

- Catching up with Malfoy Sr.- trials?

- Cruise with Grangers

- Venice, boat life, classes, dancing?

- Vacation in Egypt

- Egyptian ministry, Tombs, other buildings, Ron's surprise

- photographer with Harry, Ron and Scabbers

- Return to England – setup for Sirius


End file.
